Eden
by Hope Estheim
Summary: N has defeated White. His dreams were more powerful and now rules Unova. But he didn't plan on letting White go. No, he was much too interested for her to be free.. NxWhite, possible side pairings/one-sided. Possible lemons. Language.
1. Chapter 1

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or the characters.

Summary: N has defeated White. His dreams were more powerful and now rules Unova. But he didn't plan on letting White go. No, he was much too interested for her to be free..

A/N: I'm going to use White's Japanese name - Touko, if that's okay with everyone. And Black's Japanese name - Touya. I refuse to call them Hilda and Hebert.

Chapter One

. . .

The final battle had been raging on for almost three days now. The room was a war zone with chunks of stone all over the place. Both trainers had to dodge the crumbling ceiling multiple times, their Pokemon helping when they can. But that also created a distraction and great advantage for the opposing team.

"You should give up now, Touko, you're hurting your Pokemon."

"Ugnn.. " The trainer, Touko, looked down at the Pokemon in her arms, panting, eyes closed. She had been using Revive and Elixirs on her Pokemon to keep them going but it was proving to put a strain on them, wearing them out faster than normal. "I can't give up now, N, I can't!"

"You may not believe it, but some of your Pokemon are agreeing with me. They're tired. They want to rest. They want to _stop_. This is fate."

Her head snapped up at him, unshed tears filled with disgust entered her vision. She couldn't cry now, she wouldn't, not in front of him. quickly deciding not to use her last Elixir and believing in Zekrom, Touko called her fainted Pokemon back to it's pokeball and stood on shaky legs. N nodded his head towards her, his gaze slipping back to the battle between the two legendary dragons. He wasn't even breaking a sweat, unlike Touko.

"Zekrom, use," The command died from her lips when the huge black dragon came flying towards her. At first she thought it was going to attack her but hovered over her, letting out it's cry.

Touko looked up, blinking and noticed a huge part of the ceiling had decided to fall on top of her but Zekrom saw this and quickly came to her aid. She gave a tired smile, a small nod and jogged out of that area. Just as Zekrom tossed the piece of stone of its back, N shouted a command to Reshiram, the white dragon dashing ahead and attacked Zekrom.

Touko let out a scream as Zekrom finally went down in the rubble, causing the floor to vibrate.

"Revive, revive.. " She whispered, reaching in her bag to bring out the last item she had but a hand grasped her arm, stopping all movement. Looking up, she saw N shaking his head.

"Using Revive on Zekrom again, that would be the fourth time, wouldn't it? It's too much of a strain, you should know his limits."

"I believe in him, though! I believe we can defeat you!"

"Touko," He sighed and walked over to Reshiram, running his fingers along the big dragons wing. "Believing in them isn't enough, not this time. What I wish for is far more greater then your wish for Pokemon and humans to be together. This proves it's meant to be."

"Touko!"

Cheren and Alder ran into the war struck room, stopping to gape at the damage that had been done. Touko quickly called Zekrom back to his pokeball and lowers her head, a shadow covering her eyes. Cheren had never seen her do this but recognized many other trainers who did this action.

She lost.

"Rah!" He cried out, grabbed a random pokeball and was ready to release his Pokemon into battle until N swiftly held his hand up, stopping him.

"Before going through Victory Road, you battled Touko and lost. She beat the Elite Four flawlessly while you still struggled. What makes you think you'll have a chance against me, if she didn't?"

"Well I have to try! I can't just stand back and watch you separate people from their friends!"

"Friends.. is that what you think of your Pokemon now, no longer power machines to be the strongest?"

"That's right! It may have taken me a long while to understand.. but in the end, I figured it all out! So fight me!"

"Reshiram refuses to battle a mere trainer. Only will he accept Hero's and Touko is a fallen Hero. He will crush you in seconds."

".. " All Cheren could do was grit his teeth in anger.

"You're talking about humans free will to have Pokemon as their know something is wrong with your head, boy, if you put the Pokemon and the Earth before humans." Alder grounded out, hands clasping together behind his back.

"You're just being selfish. Pokemon have suffered for so long, it's about time there was a change."

"And we suggest you leave now and enjoy your "friendship" with your Pokemon, for in a few days, N and Reshiram will make the announcement of releasing all captured Pokemon." A tall man with handsome features and light green hair, matching N's, walked into the room.

"Father," N greeted with a nod and gestured to the room around him. "My wishes came true and we were able to defeat Touko."

"Yes, N, I am proud of you. That trainer had no idea what she was thinking, going against you. I even told her she had no chance." He huffed, a smug smirk across his face. "In a few days time, we'll contact the Poke News and declare everyone to release their Pokemon to the wild. Of course in these short days we'll have to go over our reports and prepare."

"Of course," N agreed eagerly.

Touko saw no hope in changing his mind to battle her once again, even if said she can get her Pokemon rested at a Pokemon Center, so she started to drag her feet towards Cheren. He met her half way, wrapping his arm lightly around her shoulders, guiding her out of the room until they heard N's voice rise from behind.

"I didn't say you could leave.. "

"Bastard!" Cheren snarled and spun around to face the "Hero". "You've done enough damage already, just leave us alone."

N's eyes flickered towards Cheren's.

"I wasn't talking to you," and they flickered back to Touko's head.

"You.. what?" Cheren looked between the two before giving his head a quick shake and glared at the green haired teen. "You can't just order her around. You've battled, you won, just leave her be."

"Fortunately, he's right, N." Ghetsis murmured, giving Touko's battered body a quick over before looking at his son, who's gaze never left her's. "You've done your job. Now, all you need to do if give orders and the Pokemon world will be at peace."

"And I order that she be kept within my castle."

"N.." Ghetsis sighed. He had no time to be dealing with his youngsters hormones, if the boy had any. The teen was so innocent to the world of women, if offered boobs on a platter, he would compare them to the size of a Chansey's egg. Now that would be insulting to the woman, since a Chansey's egg was huge. And tasty.

"But it's an order, great Sage." N shot his father a pierced look.

".. As you wish, _King_." The older man gritted out between clenched teeth._ 'No respect. What ever, it's just a single trainer. She probably amuses him in some way. He'll get bored of her soon.' _He thought and with a wave of his hand, two Shadow Triad members appeared at Touko's side, grabbing her arms firmly while the third member block Cheren's way.

"Touko!" He yelled, trying to get around the dark hooded figured but failed. Next he tried reaching out but that failed as well. The movement and Cheren's voice snapped Touko's mind set out of depression and her head shot up, taking in what was happening.

"Cheren! Alder!" She cried out, trying to grab a hold of her childhood friends hand but the Shadow Triad members moved quickly, making sure that their fingers only grazed terribly close before losing contact with the only person she had hopes in saving her. "Cheren!"

"Ghetsis!" Alder moved forward, ready to take on the Sage but Reshiram was immediately in his path and growling down at him. Gasping, the elder moved back a little, stumbling across the rubble.

"Drop it, Alder. It is our King's wishes to have this trainer, and he'll have her. Don't worry though, he'll get bored in a week or so and we'll return her in once peace."

"Damn it!" Cheren struggled harder to get past the taller figure, who seemed to have enough of it all and shoved the teen back, harshly, causing him to fall onto his back.

"Cheren! Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Touko yelled out, with forced bravery even though she felt anything but. "I'll be home before you know it!"

"What about Belle? Touya?" The names made her heart ache and she couldn't help the few tears that fell down her face.

"Tell them I'll be fine.. tell him I'll be home in no time!"

There was no more time for chit-chat as Reshiram forced Cheren and Alder out of the room and Touko was placed in front of N. She made sure to face away from him and quickly wipe her tears away, hoping she would never allow a person like him to see her cry. N, on the other hand, stared at her, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.

"You will be safe. I won't hurt you." He spoke in a soft voice yet it still made her flinch. Frowning, he turned to his father for help but the older man only shrugged, not caring for such a matter. "The Shadow Triad will show you to your temporary room for the night. You must be tired. I'll make sure to set something up tomorrow."

She said nothing, did nothing but only stood there, looking away from his face. After a few seconds there was a sigh and she was suddenly being pulled by the arms, dragging her out of the room, down a few halls and into a room filled with toys.

She heard the door shut behind her, along with a click, signaling the door was locked from the outside, and slid her eyes shut.

"Don't cry, don't cry.. " She whispered to herself, forced open her eyes and looked around the room.

It really was a child's play room. It had a train set, yet it looked as if someone kicked some of the tracks away so the train couldn't fully go around. There was even a basketball with a hoop. Creepy music played out from two speakers on the ceiling, sending chills down her spine.

"It looks more like a prison than a play room," she muttered to herself and sighed.

Touko felt weak and tired. There were various scrapes on her legs, knees and arms, from scrambling out of the way of falling stone and some of Reshiram's attacks were so powerful they knocked her back. She couldn't even imagine what her Pokemon must have felt, being revived every two or three times. It wouldn't be a surprise if they suddenly didn't like her anymore. The thought of her Pokemon not wanting to be with her anymore brought fresh tears to her eyes.

Quickly looking around, Touko confirmed that there was no bed in the room, none that she could fit in. There was a small bed in the corner, neatly made and looked as if it hadn't been slept in for years. With a tired sigh, she laid down by the toy train set, thankful that is still ran, even if all it could do was go back and forth. The light whirring noise it made was welcomed. If she tried sleeping in complete silence, her thoughts would be too loud for her to sleep.

. . .

Upon waking, Touko noticed she was no longer in a colourful room, no longer was she on the padded floor. Instead all she could see was white and she was lying on top of something plush, like a bed. It felt too sinfully comfortable, she didn't want to get up. Perhaps the last few days were only a nightmare. She would wish it, but that,_ too_, would probably not be enough.

With a grunt, Touko forced herself into a sitting position and checked out her surroundings. She was laying on what looked like one of those beds they have in hospitals, complete with white sheets and flimsy white blankets. The floor was white vinyl but the walls.. were clear glass. She was living in a damned glass box with stalls at the other end of the room, which she assumed was the bathroom was.

Without thinking, Touko jumped out of the bed and barely landed on her feet. She felt sore all over, worse than when she went to sleep, and silently hissed when the pain shot up her spine. Ignoring the gurgling her empty stomach made, she walked around the small single bed and looked out the window.

Touko could tell she was very, _very_ high up and she was surrounded by fields of grass and large amounts of water. If she squinted, she could see a town, or city, in the distance. Quickly, she grabbed the bed, thankful that it had wheels at the bottom, and shoved it hard against the glass, waiting for the shattered impact. But it backfired. The bed bounced back and smacked into her stomach, causing her to fly back and hit the other glass wall.

"O, ouch.. What the.. " Touko grunted and groaned, wrapping her stomach across her midsection.

"Oh, you're awake." N's voice spoke from above and Touko looked up, noticing a flat speaking in the middle of the ceiling.

"Where am I?" She rasped out while standing up with some difficulty, using the _unbreakable_ glass wall to support her weight.

"You're in your bedroom."

The look she gave him should have had him cowering in fear but behind unbreakable walls, the effect of her effort did nothing.

"My.. bedroom? You mean I'm going to be sleeping in this box? For how long?"

"Is it really uncomfortable? My father said that if you're here longer than three weeks then we can get you a proper bed."

"T, three weeks?" She stuttered, mildly shocked.

"As for where _we_ are," He ignored her and walked further into the room. "We're on a island called Liberty Garden and we're in Liberty Garden Tower."

"I caught Victini here.. "She murmured and he nodded.

"Yes. Team Plasma members reported that a young, female trainer has captured Victini. After that, we rebuilt the tower, made it bigger and better over the next three years you collected your badges."

"How long was I asleep?"

"A day and a half. Nothing shook you out of your sleep, even the movement on Reshiram's back as he flew us here."

Touko instantly reached for her belt, ready to take out Zekrom to bust them out of her but her hands was met with cotton. Looking down, she saw she was wearing one of those ugly hospital gowns and frowned.

"Sorry about the clothing." N shot her an apologetic smile. "Anthea checked over your wounds while Concordia changed your clothes."

"Where's my Pokemon?"

"I released them."

Touko felt something within her freeze, then shatter. The Pokemon she spent months, for some of them; years, building friendship with was free. And she didn't even get to say good-bye. She took deep breathes to regain composure, refusing to let the tears fall.

_'But we kept Zekrom and Victini with us. My father said it's best if we keep the rare and legendary Pokemon with us, to keep people from going after them.' _He thought but didn't voice it.

"What do you want with me?" She bit out, barely containing the anger swirling within.

"Well, I was hoping we could be friends."

".. "

".. "

Touko could not help it. She let out a hysterical laugh, because if she did not laugh, she knew she would cry. N stood there awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other while he waited for her to calm down. When she didn't after two minutes, he let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"That wasn't meant to be funny."

"F, f, friiiiends! AHAH!" She smacked her hand against the glass dramatically while the other clutched her sore midsection.

"Well I knew you'd flat out reject me if I asked after our battle so I thought this would be the next best thing."

This sobered up Touko instantly.

"You thought locking me up in a peek-a-boo glass box was going to make me want to become friends with you?"

"Well, it's a start, don't you think?"

"Are you even human?"

The question stung N. His face twisted as if someone punched him in the gut. Turning towards the door, he stopped at the frame just to say "Concordia will be here in awhile to bring you lunch," and left, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Serves him right.. " She sniffled and walked over to her bed that was now idling in the middle of _her room_.

Touko climbed on and under the covers, feeling exhaustion flood her. But she didn't allow sleep to take her without having a good cry first. A cry over her Pokemon. Over her friends. And over her situation.

. . .

The next time Touko woke up, it was dark outside but the lights in the ceiling dimmed her room. She felt too weak, too shell shocked to moved. All the things she processed made her wince. N really was a cruel guy. Even if he didn't mean to cause any harm, he was just on a one track mind. He cared about Pokemon more than the relationships they had with humans.

"Victini.. " she whispered, remembering when she first encountered the little Pokemon with a big heart.

Victini had gone down after putting up a tough fight but even as she threw multiple pokeball's at it, he would fend those off too. Finally, she threw he last ball, a Heal Ball, and Victini allowed itself to be captured. She immediately called it back out, glad that Victini was fully healed and well. Of course they didn't bond well for the first few days but they bonded close after two years of being with each other.

"Zekrom.. "

Even though she captured him moments before battling N, she felt the trust and faith the legendary dragon had towards her. Zekrom must have regretted being caught by a pathetic trainer like her. She failed him. She failed every single Pokemon trainer in Unova. She didn't deserve the title "Trainer" anymore.

A knock at the window startled Touko out of her self wallowing in despair and forced herself into a sitting position to see who disturbed her. It was Anthea, who was holding a white tray of food. She watched as half the glass slid into the floor, allowing the pink haired woman access into the room.

Gasping, Touko was about to jump out of bed and head for her exit but Anthea was too quick, putting the try on the floor and swiftly backing out, causing the glass to slide back up into place. The younger woman stared at the older one in shock and anger.

"I'm sorry," Anthea whispered yet her expression stayed blank. "Master N said not to bother you until you woke up again. It's almost eleven at night, I'm sure your starving after being asleep for so long. There's two glasses of milk, grilled chicken, plenty of veggies and a cup cake for desert."

Touko felt so mad. 'How could another person talk so calmly while I'm stuck as a prisoner?' She thought. She had the urge to kick the tray of food away, just to show defience. Eating it would be like she agreed with that that crazy bastard was doing to her. Just as she was moving her foot back, Anthea's next words stopped her.

"Master N said if you don't cooperate, he'll be forced to have you tied down during meal times, where as he'll be the one to personally feed you."

"Urk.. That would be more degrading," Touko murmured and picked up her tray instead, setting it on the bed.

"I hope you have a good night, Ms. Touko. There's a grey button on the wall, where your bed use to bed. Press that if you need anything else. But please remember, abusing that to annoy Master N, will also result in you being tied up, only to be checked up on every hour."

"Wait!" Touko stopped the older woman before she could leave.

"Yes. Ms. Touko?"

"Why like this? Couldn't he be normal and given me an actual room?"

"As Concordia told you, N never had human interactions as a child, only with hurt Pokemon. He's doing this because he wants to be friends with you."

"And you agree with this method? Friends don't do this."

"But Master N is learning, isn't he? In time, he'll realize what friends really need. I would appreciate it if you would help him learn along the way. Humor him, if you must. Once he knows what it's like to have a friend, he'll upgrade your living quarters."

"Will he ever let me go?" She bit out, not liking the feeling of being a test subject.

"Oh, yes. Once you two become 'best friends', as he said, then he'll let you go. He's certain you'll come back to visit him every day. Will that be all?"

"Yes."

"Good night, Ms. Touko." Anthea bowed and left the room.

Touko cursed out loud and threw a punch at the wall. She yelped and cradled her sore hand. _'He's fucking crazy. There's no explanation, the guys loopey!' _She thought with a hiss as her sore hand throbbed in pain. 'Friends don't do this to each other! This is plainly barbaric!'

Touko sat on the bed and began to eat her food, almost inhaling it. She didn't realise how hungry she had been. Of course, she hadn't eaten in two days now. The two glasses of milk went down without a hitch and she let out a sigh, patting her now content stomach.

"Now what.. " She thought, with a frown. There wasn't even anything in her part of the room, which was a hospital bed and stalls that lead to the possible toilet and shower. On the other side of the glass wall was just a big empty space..

With a sigh, Touko hopped off the bed and headed towards her side of the room to confirm her earlier thoughts. And sure enough, behind the stalls was a simple porcelain toilet with an open shower with two small bottles and a bar of soap. In the stall, the floor sunk a little to the middle, where laid a drain for the water to go in.

"Couldn't he have just given me a normal bathroom?" Touko said to herself but glanced around anyways, pleased to find some towels piled onto a rack by the door.

Without wasting any time, Touko reached behind her, untying the poorly tied knot on the gown, letting it slip down her body and crumple down at her feet. Reaching up, she practically tore the elastic from her hair, letting the chocolate brown locks cascade down her back. She cringed when she felt her hair, not liking how it felt so greasy and flat.

Not waiting a moment longer, Touko stepped under the shower head, turning the hot and cold tap on, adjusting the temperature and practically moaned when the water hit her skin. It felt almost heavenly as the water beat down on her head and shoulders while caressing the rest of her body on the way down.

Oh yes, she was going to enjoy this as long as she could.

. . .

A/N: End of chapter one! What did you think? Good? Bad? Alright? Shoot myself now? Let me know! I finsihed the game not too long ago and wanted to punch a fetus when I found out N wouldn't be coming back. Whatta bitch. Anyways.

This is my first time posting a Pokemon fanfiction. I haven't read any myself so I hope this turned out okay.


	2. Chapter 2

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or the characters.

Chapter Two

. . .

After almost two hours in the shower, Touko stepped out feeling refreshed, with a towel wrapped around under her arms and another in her hair. If this was in a different situation, she would wear a winning smile. But instead she settled for a barely content expression.

But now, what else was there to do?

She looked every where in the bathroom for hidden doors or passage ways but had no luck. She even tried lifting the drain but it was super glued shut on the floor. Not as if she could fit through there, but she could have yelled, with high hopes that her echos will reach to someone in Castelia City. But there was many, many doubts.

"Oh, I know."

Touko walked over to the corner, after putting the tray on the floor and pushing her bed back into the corner, she pressed and held the grey button she never saw before until now. There was a beep that came from the speaker on her ceiling, followed by silence until a tired voice spoke out,

_"Yes, Ms. Touko?"_

"Anthea? Is that you?"

_"Yes."_

"I'm bored."

_".. "_

".. "

_".. "_

"Hello?"

_"If that is all, I'm going back to bed."_

"You do that and I'll be pressing this button at random times during the night."

_".. "_

"Please, I'd just like a clean set of clothes and something to do. Give me some books, or something."

_".."_ A sigh. _"Very well, Ms. Touko, I'll be there in ten minutes."_

"Thanks."

There was another beep and Touko was cut off from interactions for an excruciating ten minutes. It was a rather long ten minute wait, as she was just sitting there, doing nothing but fidgeting while looking out at the black waters. The knock at her window nearly scared her to death.

"I'm here with the things you requested." Anthea spoke softly while her eye lids dared to close shut on her.

Like a good girl, Touko stayed on the bed as the older woman came over to place, yet another, hospital gown in her waiting hands along with some novels, magazines and a few bottles of water. Of course she made sure to pay close attention to the younger woman's movements, in case she decided to try and escape again.

When none came, Anthea relaxed a little and stepped back.

"Do you think I can get a brush too? And maybe some real clothes?"

"Unfortunately, we weren't expecting you to be occupying a space in the tower, so we'll have to go to Castelia City to acquire you the stuff you need. And you will have to ask Master N about wearing other clothes besides the gown."

"What? No way! Is he some kind of pervert?" Touko regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. Anthea's gaze hardend and she stepped out of the glass cube, glaring at the teen through it all.

"Don't you ever dare insult my Master again. If I do, it will be reported and there will be a high chance you'll be placed somewhere far worse than this. Good night, Ms. Touko."

Her name was hissed in a cold voice before Anthea stepped out of the room, closing the door with a loud bang.

"Great. Befriending someone, within enemy walls, to possibly get me out later might have failed." She sighed.

Touko quickly dropped the towel around her waist and pulled the gown on, liking the feel of fresh cotton against her skin, even if it was something she didn't wish to wear. Next, she picked up a couple of the books before gaping.

"Masterball Her Heart? Pika Her Chu? Gotta' Catch Him All? These are just raunchy erotic novels!" She exclaimed while feeling her cheeks flare up in embarrassment. She set them aside and reached for the magazines instead.

"Pokemon Fashion, Discover New, This Months Pokemon Star, Confessions of a Pokemon Lover.. " Touko all but gawked at the last magazine and flipped it open to a random page and began to read what she never expected to exist in the world.

_"My Pokemon, Deerling, and I have been through a lot over the many seasons we've been together. I've watched her grow just as she watched me grow. One day, on a beautiful autumn afternoon, she evolved. She was so beautiful. So stunning and hot, I couldn't help but get a bone-"_

Touko flung the magazine across the room, giving it an disgruntled look.

"What's with Anthea? Giving me such material to read!" She huffed and picked up "Pokemon Fashion" instead.

After getting comfortable on the bed, Touko began to flip through the magazine, ready to block out reality for a an hour or so while looking at marvelous designer clothing inspired by Pokemon. She came across many clothing that looked much too exquisite for her to wear while others looked plain repulsive. She enjoyed reading the little side stories the designers added in on how the inspiration came to them for an outfit. Some made her laugh, other almost made her tear up.

Touko went through the next two magazines within hours before she noticed the sun beginning to rise.

"Whoa.. " She breathed out, watching light fly across the waters, grass and finally lighting the whole room up with it's golden rays. It was probably one of the most sublime things she ever saw. But the beauty was short lived when she heard a door opening behind her.

"It's a magnificent sight, isn't it? It would be more lovely if there were more free Pokemon flying about in the early morning." N spoke so softly, Touko turned around to examine his expression. It was calm on the surface but there was a battle within his eyes.

"You really adore Pokemon, don't you?" A smile instantly stretched across his face.

"Of course! They've been my best friends since I was a kid."

"Well maybe you should know the difference between treating a Pokemon as a best friend and treating a human as a human." She grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance. He frowned.

"If I let you have a normal room, would you run?"

"Well.. "

"Exactly. So you'll stay here until you grow use to the idea of being friends with me."

"But why does it have to be me? Couldn't you have picked someone along Team Plasma?"

"Plasma, all they see me as if their King, they'll never treat me any less. Besides, I'm sure you remember our date on the ferris wheel ride in Nimbasa City?"

"It wasn't a date."

"It sure felt like one. Isn't that what friends do? Go on dates?"

".. Sure.. " Touko furrowed her brows at him.

"I know you enjoyed it too." Touko's eyes flashed over at the other teen in surprise and the green haired teen suddenly smiled again. "I saw, what looked like to be, a infatuated looked while you were with me on that ride."

"Yeah, until you told me you're the King of Team Plasma. That was a shell shocker." She snapped, not exactly thrilled that he had read her so easily.

"Oh, you admit it too."

".. " _'Well I walked right into that one.'_ She said nothing and just continued to glare.

"Because I haven't had much interaction with others while I was young, I thought it would be a great idea to start now, with you. Since we bumped into each other and battled a lot, I thought it would be fitting."

"You're so innocent." She murmured and he frowned.

"I don't like that term. It makes me sound vulnerable."

"Maybe you are."

"I am not. I am confident."

"And selfish. Keeping me here when I don't want to be. This is kidnapping you know, a serious offense."

"The Poke' Police won't be able to do anything because within a few days, everyone will know that I am the King of Unova. Don't you want to be friends with me?"

Touko actually stopped to think and ponder that question. She gazed at him with questioning eyes and tilted her head to the side, sizing him up. Wide emerald green eyes, shades lighter green flowing hair with a large golden crown on and a large white robe hiding his body. Well..

"No, not really." She decided in a flat tone. N frowned at her decision and sighed with a shake of his head.

"I'm sure you'll grow onto me, as I am already growing onto you."

"That doesn't comfort me in the slightest."

"You're a strange one."

"Speak for yourself, buddy." Touka muttered, not wanting to talk with someone anymore who won't see reason. N must have sensed this and gave a small nod of his head in acknowledgement.

"I understand your body language. You want to be left alone. I must be going now, anyways. There's a huge meeting I must attend to. Anthea or Concordia will be by later to write down what you need in here. Of course, some things you will have to earn."

"Earn?" She asked in a disbelieving tone, her arms dropping to hang at her sides. "That's slavery right there!"

"I really wish you wouldn't use that word," he murmured. "Just.. think of it as.. upgrading or a promotion. Even better, evolving."

".. " Touko really had no idea what to say.

"If that will be all.. ?"

"Clothes."

"Clothes?"

"I hate wearing," she gestured to the hospital gown. "This. I want normal clothes, like jeans, shorts, shirts, and so on."

"Oh, those will come when you evolve."

"Are you serious?"

"Very much so! The gown is to gain your trust."

Touko gawked at him. Openly gawked at his way of thinking and dealing with her. And he straight out laughed.

"I wish I could stay and talk more, but I must be getting to the meeting. Hopefully I'll see you during lunch time?"

And with that, N left the room, leaving Touko to stand there, eyes wide, mouth hanging open, looking like a _complete_ idiot. She stayed that way for a moment longer before the door opened again. Assuming it was the infuriating _'King' _coming back to tease her in some way, Touko regained composure and definitely placed her hands on his hips.

"That kid is such a handful." Ghetsis groaned out loud upon entering the room.

Touko's arms dropped to her sides once more, this time in bewilderment. She wasn't expecting N's dad, one of the Sages, to come and see her. Back at Plasma Castle he made it clear that she was just a trainer who wasn't worth his sons time. If given a choice, Touko would have preferred N's company over his fathers.

"Finally awake, huh? That's whats wrong with youth today, always sleeping, not getting enough studies done, parents sending their children out at a young age to go on Pokemon _adventures_. Disgusting." He sniffed and looked the the teens glass box room before smirking. "N sure went far to assure you will never escape."

"Well, apparently he was raised to be barbaric."

"On the contrary," He sneered at her and brushed her comment off with a wave of his hand. "N was raised perfectly and he has no silly dreams of being a Pokemon Master. As King, he will rule and make sure Pokemon live peaceful lives without humans."

Touko said nothing and the older man regarded her with loathing eyes. With a huff he walked further into the room, causing her to take a few steps back. He noticed this and chuckled mirthlessly.

"Look, I want you out of her as much as you."

This surprised her.

"Really?"

"He have no idea," he grumbled and shook his head. "My son was rather rash in making a decision to keep you like a pet."

"Right? Like a slave!"

"Exactly. As a Sage, I can't go against the Kings orders but I can only give you advice to help you get to freedom faster than the pace you're going at now."

"And that is.. ?"

"Befriend him."

"It must run in the family to shock people into speechlessness," she complained and he shot her a dark glare.

"That's the quickest way to ensure you out of that.. box he calls a 'room'." He looked the thing up and down in repugnance. "He even said himself, that once you two start acting more like.. 'friends'. But don't start acting friendly the moment you see him again. He'll know your planning something the moment your attitude changes."

"So there isn't a chance I'll be waltzing out of here in a week, huh?"

"Unfortunately, no. Stay defiant but not too much, just pretend to grow accustomed to what he expects out of you. When the time finally comes that you can have your own private room, I'll arrange things from there by creating a diversion and helping you escape successfully."

"Sounds better then what I came up with."

"Just don't go sassing my boy."

S,sassing?" She chocked on the word, a hand flying to her throat.

"Yes, _sassing_." He sniffed and headed towards the door. "The last thing I need is you falling for the King and tempting him, ruining his innocence."

"T,temping? Innocence?" Touko hardly thought herself as sexy, much less _tempting_.

"That's right. He's never been around much females his age, only Anthea or Concordia, who he looks up to more as mother figures. It's best if you stay clothed up as much as possible.."

"Don't worry, romancing your son isn't even on my list of things to do."

"Right, he's out of your league."

Touko didn't bother saying anything. She was saved from doing so by two swift knocks at the door and Concordia appeared from behind it. With a quick glance towards Ghetsis and a long one towards Touko, she gave a small cough.

"Am I interrupting something, Sage Ghetsis?"

"No, actually. I was just leaving."

The older man swept out of the door, giving a small bow to the Goddess and left the two alone. Concordia questioned Touko with her bright hazel eyes and the younger girl shrugged.

"He only warned me off, not to tempt N to my bed or anything." Concordia let out a light chuckle and entered Touko's glass cell, boldly leaving the door open while she went over to the stalls to pick up the dirty hospital gown. The younger teen resisted the urge to bolt through the door. _'Give him a reason to trust you.'_

"Give me a list of what you.. Oh, you actually stayed." Concordia sounded surprised as she looked towards Touko.

"Eh? You thought I was going to run?"

"Well.. "She fidget and how Touko wished she could fidget too. Instead she was playing it cool by hopping on top of her bed. "N, Anthea and I had a bet to see if you would run or not if I left the door opened." This caused the younger girl to raise a single brow.

"And? Who won that bet?" Touko felt a little bitter that they were betting on her but brushed it aside. It would all be over in time.

"N, naturally. We should have never have doubted him."

This was news the Touko.

"He actually betted on me?"

"Yes. Anthea and I bet you would run the moment you got a chance. N said he believed in you and in this budding friendship that you will stay put."

_'This will be easier than I expected,'_ She thought before giving Concordia a one shoulder shrug. "I figured I would give him a chance. He never had a chance to have friends in his childhood and everyone deserves a chance."

"Indeed," Concordia was now positively beaming towards Touko and walked outside of the glass box, the door shutting right behind her. "Now, a list of things you need."

. . .

After Concordia left with the list of needful things, Touko bit into her pillow angrily. She was limited some stuff. Like a cell phone, sending letters to her friends, a laptop, Victini..

Touko suddenly felt tired, despite the bright sun shining in her room. Well, she had stayed up all night. Crawling over to the grey button, she pushed it down and waited for someone to answer her back. After ten seconds of waiting, she repeatedly pressed the button until an irritated N answered her.

_"Did you need something? I had to leave in the middle of my meeting to answer you."_

"Oh," She thought and bit her lip. "Sorry? I'm just really tired. Is there some way to block out the sun light and dim the lights in the room?"

_"Oh, of course. I'll have a Plasma member go over and temporarily hang some dark sheets over your window until we can get you something proper."_

"Okay.. thanks."

_"No problem."_

N sounded proud, that she actually asked him for something, before he turned off the communication. Five minutes later, a Plasma member entered the room, holding a huge black sheet under his arm. After entering her room, he got to work without saying a word. She coughed. He gave her a glance before going back to his task.

"So.. how long have you worked for Team Plasma?"

".. I've been a member for four years."

"Wow," She exhaled dramatically, placing a hand on her chest. "You must be devoted to your work."

"I agree with our King's views."

"Huh."

".. "

".. You don't talk much."

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious."

"Just trying to make friendly talk." Touko held her hands up defensively. He regarded her with cool eyes and sighed.

"It's just the way I am, don't take it to heart."

"So, you're the silent, cold shoulder type?"

"Mhmm."

"Ah."

".. "

"So how did you join Team Plasma." He let his head drop dramatically before answering.

"I was working a dead end job, hated it without a wisp of passion and then one day I saw Sage Ghetsis preaching to a bunch of people. I decided to listen in on him to stall my walk to work and I believed in what he said. Pokemon should be free and not in pokeballs. I had many co-workers who would bring their Pokemon to work, having them dressed up as if they were actually humans, it was wrong. So after he was done, I pleaded to join and he accepted me with open arms. I love my job."

"Oh." Touko blinked. she had planned on annoying any Team Plasma member who came in but the truth was, none of them were the ones who locked her up. They probably didn't even want her here. So it wouldn't be right to treat a guiltless person like crap. "Thank you for taking time out of your day to agree to my selfish wish." She flashed a charming smile and he smirked.

"I'm Hoshi." He held out his hand.

"Touko," and she shook it.

Touko was quiet the rest of the time he was there so he could finish up his work faster. Hoshi would occasionally sweep his black hair from his face to get a better look at where to place the sheet but it would always fall right in place. His brown eyes would spark with anger and Touko couldn't help but laugh. He would hufff and ignore her but a small smirk would play on his lips.

After half an hour of getting the sheet up and small chit chat, the Plasma member finally admitted that he had to get back to his duties. Touko reluctantly said good bye to him, wishing she could walk out with him and escape. The more friends the merrier, even if he wasn't exactly a social Butterfree.

Touko climbed up onto her bed, crawled under the covers and welcomed the darkness into a dreamless sleep.

. . .

_Bang! Bang!_

Touko woke up with a start, her heart trying to hammer it's way out of her chest while she looked around frantically. She couldn't help but scowl to see N's fist raised against the glass, knocking a couple more times but more lightly.

"You're finally awake."

"Well hearing loud banging noises does that to one who is sleeping. I thought I was going to get shot."

"Forgive me, I just wanted to have you awake the rest of the day because if you kept this up, I'd only see you for half an hour in the mornings. I don't need my friend to be nocturnal." He chuckled.

_'He's crazy.. '_ She thought and frowned. "Controlling how I sleep, you're a bit of a freak."

"Now, now. That isn't a very polite thing to say," he tsk'd and walked into the glass cell, making sure the door shut behind him before he took a seat beside Touko on her bed. "I wanted to bond for awhile before I have papers to sign."

"Bond..? How long did I sleep?"

"Close to three hours."

She closed her eyes and felt the painful throb behind them. _'This guy is going to be the death of me,'_ she thought before going into a sitting position but not bothering to remove the blanket from her legs.

"Anthea and Concordia brought the things you requested." He pointed to a large basket on the floor beside the bed, which was indeed filled with the stuff the she had requested.

"Tell them thanks. I'm sure it was a pain looking for them."

"Of course and I'm sure they didn't mind. Those two will find any reason to shop and spend money." He smiled fondly at a memory of the two dragging him on a shopping spree when all he wanted to do was play with the Pokemon his father brought to him. But he did have fun even if the two had strict orders to keep him from talking to other people.

"So.. " Touko started awkwardly, not really sure what to say at this point.

"Oh, I've decided to reward you with this." N pulled something out of his pocket and held it out for the other teen to take.

Touko stared warily at it.

"A collar.. "

"It's not a collar, no. It's a choker."

"Same thing."

"No, not really. This one has a little red bead hanging from it. Father said it would look like on you."

"He.. did?" _'I could _kill _that man,"_ she thought dryly before grabbing the piece of jewelry and chucking it down at the floor. "Stop treating me like a damned pet!"

N stayed silent for a moment, staring down at the choker before looking back at Touko, a small frown tugging on his lips and brows furrowed.

"I don't understand. Father said you would love this kind of thing."

"Well he can just shove that.. " She stopped talking and thought about it more, the meaning behind this move. _'Perhaps this is his way of helping. With me accepting this embarrassing gift, it will get me closer to freedom. But suddenly accepting with a smile will seem suspicious.' _

Touko got out from under the blankets, hopped off the bed and picking up the offending object. After giving it a sour look, she spun around until her back was facing the other teen and wrapped the choker on the front of her neck until the clasp was at the back.

"C,can you put it on for me?"

"Sure." He kept his voice soft and Touko couldn't help the little shiver she felt run down her spine when she felt his fingers brushing the sensitive part of her neck.

After hearing the click, the smaller teen jumped away and started going through the basket of goodies that were brought to her, mumbling on about random things. N smiled down at her, even though she couldn't see it, got up and walked out of her room.

Touko heard her door open and close and looked out, seeing N walk over to a desk that wasn't there three hours earlier. Arching a single brow, she knocked on the window to get his attention. He looked up at her just as he was sitting down.

"Yes?"

"Why is there a desk there?"

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" When she tapped her bare foot on the floor impatiently, he sighed and began taking out papers from within a drawer, along with a pen. "I'm moving my office here.."

"Maybe I don't want to know anymore.. "

"To keep you company." He finished and flashed a winning smile that had no effect on the other teen.

Touko held back a fury of curses that wanted to escape and be loud and to be heard. Will she ever be free before she's driven to insanity by her capture?

. . .

A/N: Oh my berry! I didn't expect such positive response for the first chapter! Hopefully chapter two is just as satisfying!


	3. Chapter 3

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or the characters.

Warning? Angst. That is all.

Chapter Three

. . .

"Oh, these socks are so comfortable! Better than the thin ones I wore while traveling around Unova!"

Touko had been rummaging through the basket of goods Anthea and Concordia had gotten for her in Castelia City. One of the articles of clothing she was allowed wear... was socks. Since she woke up in her room, the captive had been barefoot and the floor wasn't exactly warm any time during the day, no matter how much the sun beamed through the glass.

She cuddled the brush, elastics, tooth brush, tooth paste and mouthwash she got, along with other womanly stuff such as deodorant, lotion, bras and cute underwear. Of course, her mind was so set on the important things that she forgot to ask for- decent books and magazines to read. So for the time being, she had to settle with the raunchy stuff.

After a shower, of course.

. . .

Touko stepped out from the stall an hour later, she felt more refreshed than yesterday, since she had been able to brush her teeth, then apply deodorant and lotion. More hospital gowns had been put in the stall for her to use, probably while she was sleeping, and she was only a little grateful to step into a fresh one.

Risking a glance, her eyes wandered over to N, who was seated at his desk. He was slightly hunched over scattered papers; his brows furrowed in thought, and he clicked his pen against his seat frame, annoyingly. She wanted to bug him- maybe taunt and argue a little, but that would have been the opposite of what she had to do.

Instead, she settled for grabbing "Masterball Her Heart" from the floor, while she sat down, so that she was facing the scenery, her back to N. Touko then began to read.

After an hour and a half, Touko was really getting into the story, even if most scenes had her blushing to the bone, but was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. Curiously, she turned around a bit to get a look at who entered the room. Her eyes instantly narrowed.

"How is work going, N?"

"Father," N gave a small nod of his head, as he spread his arms, motioning the scattered papers in front of him. "Agonizing, as always. But I'm getting it done quicker than usual."

"And, may I assume that it's going smoother because of.. " He let his sentence trail off awhile taking a glance at Touko. N smiled.

"Yes. I feel more at ease, when we're in the same room."

"I see." He sniffed and clasped his hands together, a smirk forming on his lips. "I assumed she liked the present, since she's wearing it?" Touko clenched her teeth together and lifted her chin in defiance.

"Well... it didn't sit very well at first, because she got the wrong idea. Though, after some thought, she changed her mind. It'll grow on her. I'm sure."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure the first idea she had was right on spot." He sneered and Touko grimaced. Before N could question his father, the older man clapped his hands twice before moving to open the door. "You have a meeting today, with the Mayor of Unova."

"The Mayor?" N frowned slightly but stood from his seat, extending a hand to shake with the balding man who entered the room.

"This is your son- N, the King. Correct?" The man kept his tone leveled, while reaching for the teen's hand. With a quick shake, he placed both hands behind his back, before sizing the boy up and down.

"He sure is, Mayor Biggie. Reshiram has accepted him, and he has Zekrom within the palm of his hand, as well. He is the strongest person in Unova." Ghetsis leaned down to the shorter man's ear and whispered, "Stronger than you and the Mewtwo you had captured and shipped over, from Kanto."

The shorter man began to visibly sweat and he stared wide eyed up at the taller man, mouth hanging open, a look of shock on his face.

"How do you know about that?"

"Well, with N as King, we had to make sure nothing got in his way of meeting with Reshiram. So Team Plasma made sure to do background checks on you, your family, and so on. Don't worry. Your family isn't the only one who got their private lives checked out."

"Give me my Zekrom back!" Touko suddenly interrupted the two, while she began banging on the glass wall repeatedly. "N, you bastard! What happened to freeing all the Pokemon? There's no need to keep my Zekrom, when you have Reshiram!"

Touko could feel the wetness on her cheeks, but she didn't care at the moment. She fully believed that all her Pokemon would be released into the wild, Including the new addition to her team. But, with the knowledge that he told her a lie, she felt the animosity she had been holding in build up.

"What's this?" Mayor Biggie squinted at the teen behind the glass, before walking over, to inspect her closer.

"Oh... just a pet," Ghetsis grumbled, with distaste. "Obviously, she's new, so we have to break her in."

"Father!" N bristled beside the older man, giving him a sort of skeptical look.

"Hn. Well if you need help with discipline, call me up. I know plenty of ways to break one in."

"Ugh!" Touko stepped back from the glass, her face scrunched up in disgust at the look on his face, while he ran his eyes down her body more slowly.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Ghetsis smiled, knowing that the shorter man was only saying this to try and get into their good graces.

"Touko is fine the way she is!"

"I hate you, " Touko scoffed, and N turned to her, eyes wide.

"... W-What...?"

"I hate you!"

She couldn't hold on anymore. As her knees buckled, she collapsed to the floor and began to sob uncontrollably. N instantly entered her room, kneeling down and placing his hand on her shoulder, to try and give some sort of support.

Touko instantly lashed out. Curling her fingers into a fist, she aimed for his jaw, and was pleased to hear a painful grunt leave his mouth. But, it didn't quell the anger that pumped through her veins.

The next thing she knew, she was pushed to the ground, and found herself surrounded by Plasma grunts. They all held steady guns towards he, and out of a fit of rage, she forced her upper half, until her head was pressing firmly against the weapon.

"Put me out of my damn misery!"

"Don't!" N shouted and stood up, with the help of a Plasma member. "Lower your weapons, Plasma." When they hesitated, the teen growled out, "This is a direct order from your King!"

After the words left his mouth, every Plasma member in that room took their aim off Touko and pointed their gun to the ceiling.

"Very interesting," Mayor Biggie mused, and let out a short laugh. "You sure he can rule Unova, while he can barely control his emotions? You sure he doesn't have a hard on for this girl... ?"

"Trust me, Mayor. That's probably the only thing that will never be on N's mind," Ghetsis muttered, then told everyone to get out of Touko's room.

As a last Insult, Touko ripped off the choker and threw it at N's back. He turned around to stare down at it on the floor, before looking back up at the other teen. But, she was back to being a heap on the floor, face turned away, sobbing. Sighing, he picked up jewelry and pocketed it.

"Please don't think badly of me, Touko. It wasn't- "

"Don't speak my name, as if we were friends. Just... leave me alone." She went into a fetal position, feeling a sense of dread.

Touko couldn't live like an animal, doing tricks for treats, getting disciplined for being bad. She didn't even think she could do it, if it meant getting her freedom. When she saw the guns being pointed at her, the first thought that came to mind was "freedom". It had been irrational and risky, but being stuck in that hole for almost three days had taken a toll on her. She wished she could camp outside with her Pokemon once again, watching the starry night sky, while feeling the warm night's wind.

"..."

N continued to stare at her, hoping she would get up, turn around and say she hadn't meant any of the things she said. So, he waited. And waited...

After a couple minutes, he heard his father cough rather loud and rudely. Dejectedly, he left the glass room, the door closing the moment he stepped out.

"All Plasma members, go back to your positions. Sorry for the interruption, Mayor Biggie."

"No problem at all, boy. It was rather entertaining. Perhaps you'll seriously think over the punishment proposal? She desperately needs it." N ignored him and the older man chuckled without mirth. "I must be going now, Ghetsis. I have many other people to meet."

"Indeed. I'm sure you can show yourself out?"

"Of course," the other man hissed icily.

"Oh, and some Plasma members will be over in a few days to take that Mewtwo off your hands."

"W-What?"

"Just because you're Mayor of Unova, that doesn't mean you're excluded from the liberation of Pokemon. The Mewtwo is foreign, and must be kept safely within Liberty Garden's walls."

"But!-"

"Enough. Please show yourself out, or a member of the Shadow Triad will do it for you."

The shorter man stiffened at the name and shook his head, remembering how eerie it was, when one of the Shadow Triad had shown up at his home to deliver a message, to meet with their King. Eyes hidden and the rest of their face emotionless. Without a second glance to Touko, Mayor Biggie left the room with as much dignity as he could muster.

"That was troublesome," Ghetsis rubbed the back of his neck, before facing his son. "You will have to watch how you behave from now on. You know there's security cameras all over the place, for your safety." He then leaned down until he was face to face with the younger version of himself and whispered, "If they start sensing you- their King, a weak link, they'll begin to question if what they're doing is wrong, or not. Your doubt is their doubt. Your fear is their fear. You now have power, N. Use it wisely."

With that, Ghetsis left the room for N to think.

N looked at the door his father went out of a couple seconds ago. He then took out the ripped choker from his pocket. He found himself staring at it, as a million thoughts rushed through his head. To his dismay, it'd only been a couple days into his ruling, and N had already messed up. And, that was on the second most important thing to him. His friendship with Touko. The first thing that mattered were the Pokemon, of course.

He gloomily looked over at Touko, who was still laying on the floor. It seemed like her sobbing had ceased, but her shoulders still shook and there was a few hiccups heard.

_'What does a friend do in this situation?'_ He asked himself, but was not able to come up with an answer.

After another agonizing hour of signing papers, N got up and headed for Touko's room, hard set on apologizing until she forgave him. When he entered the room though, he saw her shoulder rise and fall slowly. _'She's sleeping'._

He picked her up as gently as he could and placed her on the bed, bringing the blankets. He then gently tucked her in. Out of impulse, he reached over to grab a lock of her chocolate brown hair between his fingers, feeling the silkiness of it.

N frowned down at her, unsure of what to do. His father had ruined his plans of becoming friends with Touko. He supposed that if things continued like that, she would never come to enjoy his friendship and he would be forced to let her go.

Biting back the protest of refusing to lose her, he swiftly left the cell and the room all together, but not before pressing a button on his desk. He spoke into a microphone off to the side.

_"Yes, Master?"_

"Anthea," He breathed out in relief, glad it wasn't his father answering.

_"Is something wrong?"_ He heard the panic in her voice and felt bad for worrying her.

"Yes, Anthea. I messed up, with the help of father."

_"What happened?"_

"Anthea... who are you devoted to the most?"

_"You, Master,"_ She answered immediately and set most of N's fears at ease.

"Alright. I'm going to ask you to do something dangerous, and you might need Concordia's help. But, it has to be done."

_"Whatever you ask of us, Master."_ Concordia then answered and he let a small smile tug at his lips.

"Alright. But, I need to talk to one of you in person. Then, you can relay the message to the other so we can keep this secret as much as possible.

_"Yes, Master."_ They answered in unison, before the connection cut off.

. . .

Touko thought her heart would rupture in her chest, when she felt N picking her off the floor, as he carried her off to bed. She pretended to be asleep, in hopes of him leaving her alone, but apparently, she hadn't expected him to tuck her in bed. She was tempted to open her eyes, just to see what expression he wore, but resisted.

She then heard him whispering something and strained hard to listen. Though, it seemed hopeless, so she gave up and decided to nap off her stress, and her feelings that were in turmoil.

It felt as if she only closed her eyes for a second, before she was awoken by something licking her cheek. Startled by the strange sensation, Touko jerked back and hit her head against the wall.

"Viii!"

Her eyes snapped open and found Victini- her Victini, sitting on the pillow, looking up with worried eyes.

"Victini!" She brought the little Pokemon into a tight embrace, fighting back to squeeze its little head.

"Viii, vii!"

"He can't stay here long."

Her head whipped over toward the feminine voice, finding Anthea leaning against the glass, wearing a stoic expression.

"What do you mean?"

"Master N is risking possible exile from Plasma and the wrath of Sage Ghetsis."

"Then why-"

"Because," Anthea cut Touko off. "He doesn't want you angry at him, anymore."

Touko puffed out her cheeks at that, before letting the little gust of air out harshly. "It's his fault for lying to me."

"He never wished to lie, foolish girl." The older woman then snapped at her, vexed. "Ghetsis is the one who planted the idea into his head, that keeping the legendary and rare Pokemon here would keep others from going after them! N truly believes that's the best answer! You can't judge him for that!"

"..., " Touko bit the inside of her cheek from saying something stupid, and returned to cuddling Victini with little time they had together.

"Concordia is on duty, alone, in the control room, where they have survey on the area. If someone were to walk in on her and see this, Master N, Concordia and myself would face punishment."

"C-Cameras?" She glanced wearily towards the stalls, then blushed, thinking the worst.

"Don't worry. We might not be a 'friendly' bunch, but we're not perverts."

"I see."

"Viiii," The Pokemon whined out, nuzzling its trainer under her chin, looking for some much needed attention.

And, Touko was all for giving it. She massaged the long ears on her Pokemon, loving the way it still felt soft to the touch. She made sure the Pokemon that could bathe, did so, regularly.

Victini crooned happily, then curled up on her lap, but kept his eyes open, watching Anthea attentively.

"There's not much time left." The older woman warned Touko.

"Victini," She called out, feeling dread build up in her gut. The little Pokemon perked right up, staring at her with a smile on his face. "You're gonna have to go back now."

Victini's ears suddenly drooped and his eyes began to tear up. "Vii.. vii?"

"Don't cry, or I won't be able to let you go. They'll have to get people to beat me to release you." She forced a smile even though her Pokemon sent her a glare. Clearly, it didn't appreciate the dry humor in this type of situation.

"Viii!"

"If you're with Reshiram, tell him I'm sorry that I failed him. Maybe he was sick, when he thought I was a hero. Also, you know Touya and Cheren love a challenge, right? Perhaps giving them hints would be helpful, or they'll never figure out the puzzle." The Pokemon nodded its head eagerly.

"What does that mean?"Anthea raised a single brow, as she questioned the younger female.

"Just as I said; My friends love challenging puzzles." Touko then thought to herself, _'As if I would tell you.'_

"Hm... I've got to bring Victini back before shift change in ten minutes."

"Okay," Touko let out a sigh and hugged her Pokemon one last time. "Don't forget me, Victini."

"Vii!" It cried out, when Anthea picked it up and brought him out of the room. He even tried to bite her hand a few times, but Touko furiously shook her head.

"Don't fight it, Victini! Everything will be well. Trust us!"

"Viiiii!" It cried out one more time, before curling up into a little ball, blocking off the world. Anthea said nothing more, as she left the room quietly.

Touko breathed in deeply, then exhaled slowly. She would see her Pokemon again. There was nothing to worry about. It'd just take a lot of time, before they are all reunited.

She decided to continue reading "Masterball Her Heart", so she could stay up and regulate her sleeping pattern. Since she was thinking rationally, she would give the 'friendship' thing another try. But, she wouldn't jump at the first sight of the young King. No. That would have to be more perfectly planned.

Days went by, without Touko or N speaking to one another. She kept her back facing him, while he kept his eyes trained on his work. Sometimes, the silence got to her, and it just made her want to break down faster. But, she resisted. Touko was going to do her plan properly.

When her door opened the first few times, it nearly scared her to death. She thought the young King would barge in and demand conversations from her. But, it was occasionally Anthea or Concordia, bringing her meals, or those damned hospital gowns for her to wear.

Hoshi actually came by once, to remove the glass that let her view the outside world, only to replace it with glass that looked exactly the same. Except he told Touko there was a button that needs to be installed, so she could switch the glass from clear to black, to block out the sun light.

When she didn't reply or even look at him, he sent a curious glance in her direction. She had been a chatter box the last time they met, but now, she had become a complete mute. With a shrug, he left the cell and the room.

Two more days passed, and Touko couldn't handle it anymore. She needed some form of human contact, and who was better to share that with, than her captor, no less?

Slowly, she eased off the bed, and stepped near the glass. Putting a hand flat against it for effect, Touko tried her best to look desperate and needy. She furrowed her brows and forced a frown in place. Perfect.

"N..., " she called softly.

The voice startled the young King, while signing his name on a document paper. That caused the pen to strike up across the page. His eyes were rested on the vulnerable looking girl, at the other side of the glass. Her current state caught him off guard.

"Y-Yes?"

"I want.. I need a hug.. ," She sniffed, correcting herself. The brunette kept in mind that adding a tear, or two, would be pushing it.

"Oh! Uhm.., " Her confession slightly shocked N, causing his heart to skip a beat or two.

Awkwardly, he stood and walked mechanically over to the cell, taking one foot inside. He then was brought into a tight hug by the smaller teen. That action kicked his heart into overdrive, and he hoped she didn't hear it. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, while she rested her head against his chest. A contented sigh escaped pass her lips.

It took Touko all of her willpower to stop a shit eating grin from taking place on her face, when N awkwardly placed his hands on her , that feeling quickly passed, once she noticed them on her hips, rather than her ribs.

_'Now that I think about it, this is almost as if I'm seducing him.. No, no, no!'_ She tried pulling back, ready to say some bullshit excuse for hugging him, but he held her in place, one hand snaking around her back to pull her closer.

"Eep!"

"I'm sorry for neglecting you, Touko."

"I-It's fine, N!" she tried to breathe out, squirming. "Really!"

"No. It's not 'fine'," he shook his head, stray green hair strands tickling her cheeks and nose. "I'm supposed to be taking care of you- supporting you. Though, I was too much of a coward to say anything. I was afraid you'd hate me for good."

N dropped his head down, until his forehead was in the crook of her shoulder. Inhaling deeply, he silently thanked Anthea and Concordia for clearing things up with Touko, because if they didn't, he was sure she wouldn't have listen to a word he said.

"I.. was blinded by rage. When that happens, I tend to say and do things without thinking them through."

"I'm glad," he sighed heavily and tightened his hold on her. "I don't know what I would have done, if I got my only friend to hate me so soon."

Touko bit her lip and felt pity and guilt rising within her. She always seemed to forget that N had grown up without much contact with people, nor kids his age. While she, herself, had been with childhood friends since as long as she could remember. It was new territory for him, and whether she liked it or not, she'd have to do things differently with him. Like, perhaps, being real friends with him...

Touko also could not forget about his wish to separate Pokemon from people. And, locking her up. Those were the two reasons that had stopped her from actually trying to be true friends with him. They were too different, living in opposite worlds, with differing ideals. A King and a Trainer. Hah.

"I'm sorry," She whispered and raised a hand to pat the side of his head gently.

After a couple more minutes, N stepped back and gave Touko a apologetic smile.

"Guess we better stop, before I get questioned for looking weak."

"Right," She nodded and stepped back as well, feeling her heart sink, once the door shut. Oh, how sweet it would have been, just to convince him to hug her one more time, then escape when he least expected it.

N headed back to his desk, a big smile threatening to split his face in half. He sat down, his mood seemingly escalated, though he was surrounded by mounds of paper. Touko stretched her arms and felt a slight ache in the back of her head.

"What is the time?" She asked while looking out at the sky. He smiled, noting it had been drenched with a beautiful, burning-orange hue.

"It's almost nine."

"Is it safe to go to bed now? I feel like I'll die if I stay up for an hour longer."

"Of course. We can't have you dying now? Can we?"

"Nope," she smiled and then excitedly got into bed.

After three more hours, N got off the high he achieved after Touko's confession and felt dread well up. The door opened to reveal Anthea and Concordia, pushing in a large screen TV, setting it in front of Touko's room. They made sure it was set up and ready for her the following day, before bowing to their master. They then left the room, with only N and Touko occupying the silent, calm space.

Ghetsis said this would be best for her to watch and take it all in, instead of having him explaining and facing her wrath again. Perhaps that, plus some time alone, would cool her off.

. . .

A/N: I now have a Beta reader! A big thanks to Unidentified Child for putting up with all the mistakes in the chapter and helping fix things up!

I hope you all enjoyed chapter three!


	4. Chapter 4

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or the characters.

Chapter Four

A/N: This is not Beta'd because of complications. So don't whine about something being wrong, it'll be reuploaded once I get the Beta'd version. I'm rushing this 'cause I'm going out of town for a bit.

. . .

Touko lazily stretched and groaned softly, after hearing a couple cracks. She had felt better after having a long nights rest and would probably have felt greater if she slept longer but a buzzing sound was grating on her senses.

She sat up and blinked multiple times at the strong sun light filling the room and look towards the desk, expecting to see N working his ass off but instead it was empty.. and there was a TV right in front of her cell.

"So that's where the buzzing noise in coming from.. "

Forcing herself to leave the warmth of her bed, she stepped onto the chilled floor, holding back a curse, and stepped closer to the glass. She noticed the remote control on the ground and picked it up. She used it to put the sound up but didn't bother changing the channel. Who ever placed this in here obviously wanted her to see something on this channel.

Touko didn't have to wait for long before the screen turned white, the words "Important Message" blinked across the screen. That would mean it's showing on every single channel in Unova, and possibly other regions. After a minute of this, the screen went black for a moment before lighting back up, showing the front of the Pokemon League.

Many people, possibly trainers, were surrounding the area but what caught her eye was the gym leaders and Elite Four, who stood at the front of the crowd, wearing defeated expressions. A moment later, N emerged from the League doors, wearing his golden crown and a long white robe that dragged out behind him.

Standing close were Anthea and Concordia, wearing expensive but luxurious looking dresses, different from their usual attire at the tower, and their hands clasped together in front, staring at the crowed with practiced smiles. Surrounded them were the Seven Sages and possibly over fifty Plasma members, looking out for possible threats.

"Hello, trainers of Unova," N started out, smiling out at the nervous crowd before continuing to speak.

Touko knew what this speech was about, knew what it was going to result in. She tried turning the TV off but it wouldn't work. Of course it won't. Whenever important messages appeared on TV, all TV's and radios in Unova switched on and were controlled to stay on until the announcement has been made. Important messages were usually used for warning everyone of natural disasters, although, Touko was sure N fit somewhere int hat category.

She considered going to the bathroom, to shower of flush the toilet repeatedly, but whenever she moved farther away from the TV, the sound seemed to get louder. She suspected that there were still Plasma members here, watching her through whatever camera and making sure she listened to what the King said, even if she didn't want to watch it.

Touko sat in front of the glass, and watched N make his speech but made sure just to tune him out. She knew what the result was going to be anyways, there was no need to go through the pain of that again.

Instead, she thought about her friends. No doubt they were watching the TV program now, already knowing what was going to happen. They would lose their friends too and it was all her fault. But she knew they wouldn't blame her. Belle would try her best to give confusing advice, Cheren would awkwardly encourage her while Touya.. Touya would hug her, and say everything would be alright.

"Touya.. " Touko whispered his name, not realizing how much it would hurt to do so.

Touko and Touya were friends before they met Cheren and Belle, and they always stuck close. He was like the big bother she never had before. She always wondered if they could ever become anything more than that. As she grew older, she would feel funny whenever he accidentally brushed his shoulder against hers.

Of course Touya obviously thought nothing of her but a little sister. He always said she was frivolous and clumsy, when it was actually him who would always be rushing off on a new adventure, falling over rocks or roots just on the outskirts of town.

She hoped he didn't hate her now, for failing every trainer in Unova. No, of course he wouldn't hate her. His heart was much too kind for something as strong as hate. She on the other hand..

Touko glared at the TV screen for a second but then blinked at the scene that was unfolding. The trainers were trying to get up to the front, enraged expressions on their faces, but Team Plasma were set into action, blocking them effectively while gym leaders and the Elite Four got out of the way, already accepting their fate. Few other trainers stayed in the back, glancing from one another, agreeing with that N said.

"You can't do this!" One trainer yelled out desperately while others around heatedly agreed.

"It's for the best! If only trainers weren't so blind to see that!" N shot back, the smile long gone from his handsome face.

"Oh, N.. " Touko sighed and scratched her chin. He was only doing what he thought was best. Obviously her words didn't reach him during their past encounters, so the words of other trainers wouldn't work either.. She didn't think nothing could since he was raised this way since he was a little kid.

"Dammit!" Another trainer yelled and threw their pokeball, a Cinccino appearing from the white flash.

The little Pokemon gnarled up at N and he looked down at it, watching intently. With a tilt of his head, the Cinccino stopped growling and copied the King's movement.

"Your Pokemon.." He started out slowly before looking at the trainer in the eyes. "Said she doesn't mind if she's set free."

"What? You lie!"

"What could I possibly accomplish by doing that? Lying only hurts the ones you care about.." N frowned, honesty written all over his face. Memories of yesterdays event flashed through his mind. "I knew people would retaliate, so I made sure to have along a good friend of mine who agrees with my views. Reshiram!"

The large white dragon dropped from the sky, giving the area a good shake with it's landing, and looked around at the trainers, it's gaze sharp. Everyone gasped up at Reshiram, not believing what they were seeing. They had only heard of this legendary Pokemon in old folk tales and legends, but to see the actual thing was overwhelming. Even Touko could feel the power it radiated from where she sat.

"Reshiram here as accepted me. I also had Zekrom with me," which was sort of a lie but no one had to know that. "And it is my deepest wish for Pokemon and humans to live separately. So, trainers, you can release all your Pokemon now. But know this, we have Over thirty Team Plasma members in every town, in every city, and in the afternoon, they're going to go to every house and demand the release of Pokemon."

"That's not fair!" A female trainer screeched, tears running down her face.

"No, what's not fair is the way Pokemon have been treated for so long. But now they can live freely, the way it should be."

"Thank you, great King," Ghetsis stepped forward, giving N a small bow before turning to the crowd. "Our King and the mighty Reshiram has wished it for Humans and Pokemon to live separately, so be it. After today, no one will have Pokemon within their pokeballs or home. Those who choose to go against the Kinds wishes will be punished. Those trying to recapture their Pokemon the day after tomorrow, will also be punished. It is forbidden to capture Pokemon from here on. The punishment could result into going to jail for a number of years."

"In short," Another Sage stepped forward, a crooked smile on his face. "Interactions between humans and Pokemon are now a crime. Please, also take note, that if its found out that anyone is planning a revolution against our King, punishment could include torture and death."

There was a deafening hush over the crowd and Touko couldn't help but gawk at the screen.

"That will be all," N smiled once again, but this time it was tight and forced. "This announcement has been recorded and will be showed every morning and every night to remind everyone what a new world is it. Rejoice, Pokemon will be happier."

"Some people follow their dreams.. N hunts his down and beats it mercilessly," Touko couldn't help but mutter darkly and she swore she heard someone laugh through the intercom.

The TV screen went dark for a moment before returning to the original programming it was playing before the announcement. Touko pressed the power button on the controller and the TV finally turned off. She stood with a small grunt, her back feeling sore from hunching over too long.

"What a life," Touko said out loud and started to walk around in circles.

She was completely bored. Believe it or not, she actually wanted N around, just so she could have someone to talk talk. Heck, even having a sneering Ghetsis around would have been better than no one.

"Going insane yet?" The deep voice made Touko jump in her spot and she turned around to see Hoshi leaning against the TV, a small smirk gracing his lips.

"You have no idea."

"You're not the only one. I was one of the unlucky members that had to stay behind to watch over the tower. And you."

"Lucky, lucky. So you must have been the one to laugh at my comment."

"Heh. Yes."

"Glad you found it amusing."

"You're not angry?"

"At you?"

"No, at the King."

"Sort of, sort of not. I already knew this day would come quick after I lost, I just didn't expect the wounds to be rubbed with extra salt." She gestured to the TV.

"Oh, Sage Ghetsis demanded for it to be placed here for when you wake up. He said it's to remind you of your place in the new world."

Touko blinked before rubbing her mouth to hide the smile. It.. somewhat made her happy that it was Ghetsis who wanted her to see the program instead of N.

"It's not that I'm angry at him, just at myself. And sad that I failed my friends, the trainers, the gym leaders, the Elite Four.. and Alder."

"But it's for the best! "

"Okay, I'm not getting into an argument with you. I'm tired of those." He pursed his lips together but nodded nonetheless.

"Very well. You're different from what I expected."

"What do you mean?"

"Over the years, Ghetsis complained about you, saying how cruel you were driving your Pokemon. N, on the other hand, didn't say much. But all the Plasma members got this idea that you were evil to the core, a slave driver."

Touko snorted and shook her head.

"That's judging a person by the way they battle. I've been with my Pokemon for a long time. There's trust, love and devotion on each side, of course we'll thrive through battles no problem."

"Hmm, I'm glad I was proved different."

Hoshi sent Touko a killer smile and she couldn't help but feel her cheeks heat up. He noticed and laughed when she tried to bury her face in her hands. After as moment, Touko went to her basket of goodies and pulled out a stack of cards.

"Want to have a round or two of Speed?"

"I must warn you, I'm like a Darkrai at Speed."

"Well then I'll let you know in advance that I'm like a Deoxys on caffeine."

. . .

After two hours and many games later, Touko and Hoshi was laughing so hard while trying to out-speed the other but usually messed up their piles from slamming the cards down too hard. The older male leaned back and groaned, the teen couldn't help tease him a bit.

"What's this, tired out already? I mean, I don't blame you, a girl who's a few years younger, kicking your butt in a card game, I'd be pretty tired out too."

"Please, we're neck and neck."

"I beg to differ. I've won four games, you've only won three."

"Close enough," he huffed and she laughed.

Their amusement was short lived by the sound of a door opening, N striding through with a content look on his face. Until he saw a Plasma member with Touko. He saw them in time to be laughing about something, Touko's head dipping back merrily.

Hoshi looked over, saw his king and wiped the smile off his face. He stood up straight and saluted the younger man, keeping his face expressionless.

"Welcome back, King."

Touko looked up at Hoshi, stunned at how fast he changed from being with her, to being in the presence of his King. It made her frown.

"Hey, N," She said, halfheartedly.

"I assume you two had fun while I was gone?" Hoshi said nothing and Touko worried her bottom lip. N sighed. "You're dismissed."

"Sir." Hoshi quickly left the room, not giving Touko one last glance.

Touko, though, was a bit upset that N had ruined their card game. She was having the most fun she had since she got here, save for the visit with Victini, and thought it wouldn't be so bad if she had interactions like this everyday. But N merely entered the room and Hoshi did a complete three-sixty on her.

There was silence for awhile as N settled behind his desk, shuffled around papers until he looked over at his captive.

"What did you think of the announcement?"

He almost sounded like he was seeking for acceptance by the slight tremble in his voice.

"It's the most beautiful thing I heard, I almost cried," she bit out sarcastically and began to put the cards back together in a neat pile. He was clearly not amused by the growing frown on his face. Touko sighed. "I knew this day was coming, I haven't accepted it nor have I rejected it. I'm in the middle. I don't know what to feel. But that still doesn't mean I'm happy about the whole thing.

"So what's this about you and Hoshi?" He gestured between her and the cards, catching her off guard with the subject change.

"We started to play card games after the announcement since I was dying of boredom of here."

"I don't like it," He declared with stubborn childishness, as if some kid had stolen his favorite toy.

"Well if you were around more often, I wouldn't be lonely," she teased halfheartedly with a cheeky smile. But the smile slipped from her lips by the now concerned expression on the other teens face.

"Do you need another hug?" Touko blinked and felt a little surprised he would ask. "Anthea and Concordia said hugs are often shared among friends and strengthens bonds between them"

"T, that's true, I hug my friends often, but.. "She felt unsure about the whole thing. That is until she watched N's expression turn crestfallen. "Okay..just one hug, alright?"

He nodded eagerly, getting up from his chair and waltzing right into her room. He moved too fast, in Touko's opinion, and couldn't help but squeak when his arms wrapped around her shoulders while she let hers hang limply at her sides.

The hug was cut short, either to Touko's relief or horror, because N let her go and went to the pile of books and magazines on the floor.

" 'Confessions of a Pokemon Love' and 'Pokeball Her Heart'? What kind of books are these?" His tone wasn't one of scolding but one of extreme curiosity and amusement at the Pokemon reference names. He had no idea what kind they were.

"Nothing! They're not all that exciting!" She snatched the pile from his hands, her voice going up a notch.

"Let me see them," N demanded and frowned when Touko furiously shook her head.

"No, no, I promise you, these wouldn't interest you."

"The novel looks pretty used up and there's a lot of doggy eared pages, meaning you enjoy it."

"Well, I do, but that doesn't mean you will."

"But I want to get to know you better, so I should be allowed to read the stuff you're interested in."

"I didn't want 'Confessions of a Pokemon Love'! They all belong to Concordia!" Touko was desperately grasping at straws now. 'All in for the name of innocence!'

"Then I'll just tell Concordia to let me borrow them.

"Erm, she might consider not giving it to you, either."

"Why not?" N crossed his arms with a huff, clearly annoyed.

"The books might be too girly for you," 'and could affect your pure soul,' she thought.

N, seeing no way around this, dropped the subject and headed back to his desk. Touko waited until his back was turned before stuffing the offending objects from his view, under her mattress.

The day continued on with small conversations between the two, N bringing up the books a few times while Touko avoid talking about them. It would equal into playful banter before N confessed he had to get back to work until he would strike up another conversation minutes later.

. . .

Touko watched with a distressed expression on her face as many people, trainers, came storming into N's office, demanding he lift the ban between Pokemon and people. Some had came in, crying hysterically that he was a absolute monster for doing this.

Through it all, N kept a straight face, giving nothing away. But Touko paid close attention to his eyes where he kept his swimming emotions. The hurt was clear in them. He obviously didn't like the negative feedback or effect his law was having against many people but it was something he strongly believed in. No one can change his mind.

"People won't be bugging us soon, except with letters." He confessed to her after the last bawling trainer was sent on their way.

"What do you mean?" She felt a yawn threatening to escape but bit down firmly on her tongue.

"We bought out this island, so it's private. Only Plasma members, the Sages and myself can take the boat from Castelia City to here. The trainers used their Pokemon like slaves to fly them here. But look." He pointed to the clock on the wall that was put there earlier by a Plasma member.

It was five minutes to twelve midnight.

"I think you would rather be alone for when it happens." He bit his lip, glancing from Touko to the door, as if he hoped she would ask him to stay. When she said nothing, he mumbled a good night and left her for the night.

Touko suddenly felt her heart sank when she figured out what he meant.

A minute to twelve, hoards of flying Pokemon flew from Castelia City, all flying aimlessly. They looked as if they didn't know what to do at the moment, now that they were free. Some flew around the city, perhaps in hope that their trainer would recapture them again while others decided to move on and flew towards the trees.

Touko was right up against the window, squinting her eyes to see hundreds of people at the docks, releasing their water Pokemon out into the sea.

How many more times would her heart shatter before it's had enough?

She was thankful that N left her alone for this, because the only thing that could comfort her tonight was not the enemy, but the plush pillow that allowed her to sleep that night, through the many cries of the flying Pokemon.

. . .

A/N: Eden has got it's first fan-art! The link is www (dot) (dot) com/#/d3cvvcb

Remove the spaces and brackets, you know to replace the dot with the actual " . " Seriously, go check it out. It's so well drawn and super cute! Thanks Hylian-guardian! (hearts)

And to the person who says a king who shows weakness is more respected. One word. Ghetsis. (Manipulating bastard).


	5. Chapter 5

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Chapter Five.

A/N: Will be edited later.

. . .

Many men, of all ages and sizes, came into the office throughout the day, sitting in a chair opposite of N for business. Some had more than enough papers for him to sign while the others had to bring in their business reports. All of their companies had one thing in common. Pokemon.

Sizor Hair Cuts, Pokemon Clothing, Pokemon Babies and Eggs, Pokemon Daycare. All directors had to report to N and file either retirement or resignation. Since no one had Pokemon anymore, they had to give up their business and find another job. Which will be difficult for a long while since everything in Unova revolved around the Pokemon. The only business that was allowed to stay open was the Pokemon Center, in case of any _rare_ Pokemon emergency.

Touko wanted to scowl at the older men but kept composure and the teen pretended to watch the TV on silent when she was actually listening to the conversation between N and the business people. Touko could feel the stares burning holes everywhere on her body, and the feelings that went along with it weren't exactly nice.

The next client to walk in was a woman who was in her mid twenties, wore a floral white blouse, lilac blazer with a matching skirt that reached her knees. Her pastel pink hair was kept up in a tight yet messy ponytail, brown eyes hidden behind Prada glasses and too much gloss was coated on her lips, giving them a droopy sheen, pouty look.

"Mr. N Harmonia! My name is Aiko Otsuka, I'm a news reporter for the Unova Weekly, I write in the big news and current events sections." She held her hand out for her and he shook it briefly before gesturing for the younger reporter to take a seat.

Aiko sat down excitedly and took out a notepad and pen from her bag, eagerly waiting for the young king to settle himself down before shooting off the questions the reporter had written down days before booking the interview.

"What's it like being King? From what I heard, you've been 'King' since you were young."

"That's true. Being King has a lot of responsibilities and tasks. It's not easy."

"Yes, yes, " the reporter furiously scribbled down his response and tapped the pen against her chin, eyes scanning down the question list. "How was your childhood like?"

"No comment."

"Okay. How was it like when you first encountered Reshiram? Did you feel scared?"

"Of course not. The moment Reshiram appeared before me, I felt this connection with him. He must have sensed it too or else I wouldn't never have been able to ride on his back," N chuckled.

"Oooh, how exciting!"

"Exhilarating."

"Do you have any other plans as King?"

"Just to keep Pokemon away from people, safe and free."

"I also heard you have a talent of communicating with Pokemon."

"You hear a lot of things."

"Indeed," she smiled saucily and tapped the pad with her pen.

"I can communicate with Pokemon, even since I could remember. I could hear and understand what they're feeling. I really wished to help them stop hurting."

"You're very compassionate."

"Only when it comes to Pokemon."

"Now, about.. "

The two continued on. Aiko firing questions, N answering them smoothly or if it got personal, no comment was made. Touko got bored as the questions started to steer into politics and changing the Pokemon world so she turned off the TV and went over to the basket of goods, pulling out a book she requested days ago.

_'How to Build a Pokeball.' Well it's gotta be better than those raunchy erotic novels.'_ The young teen thought before getting up on the bed and getting into a comfortable position.

Touko don't know how much time passed until she heard a chair screech across the floor.

"Thank you so much for your time, Mr. N Harmonia. The paper will be publish within a few days."

"No problem."

"Oh?" Aiko decided to give the room a look over before leaving and spotted Touko on her bed, reading. "What's this, what's this?" She sounded much too excited and took out her notepad and pen once more.

"Uhm.. " Touko glanced between N and the reporter, unsure of that to do. The two teens hadn't expected that the older woman would turn her attention on the ex-trainer but they should have been prepared for that. After all, who ever heard of a reporter that isn't a complete snoop?

"She's none of your business." N huffed out moodily and stood from his seat and motioned towards the door. "I believe that is all for today."

"Oooh, don't be so dismissive, King! You gotta tell me the juicy details about this one. I've never seen such a thing before!" She lifted the camera that was hanging innocently around her neck. But once she got the lens adjusted, the object was lifted above her head. "H- hey!"

Aiko tried reaching for her most precious possession but N was taller than her and, much to her embarrassment, had more slender, long arms than herself.

N held the camera out of the reporters reach and frowned at her.

"Please, don't take any pictures, I don't want you including her in your story."

"But why?" The reporter questioned hotly, crossing her arms over her chest, puffing out her best assets in hopes of distracting him or perhaps bending him to her will.

Shockingly for her, he didn't.

Unknowingly for him, he tilted his head in confusion.

Amusingly for Touko, she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing.

"Please, Mr. N Harmonia, it's my duty as a reporter to cover everything here. Think of all the notice you would get!" She said it as if if this sort of thing would get positive feedback.

"The answer still 'no'," He handed back her camera and started to guide her to the door. "Please, I am very busy today."

"I'll just write "Girl Living Behind Glass Walls in the Kings Office" and that will be okay, right?" She sounded so sure of herself, Touko was a tad jealous of her persistence.

But she didn't feel a tint of envy when she saw a some-what provoked look on N's face. He leaned down until he was eye to eye with the reporter and kept his voice leveled.

"She will not be in the newspaper, not even hinting that she's here."

"I can't guarantee this."

"And I can't guarantee that Unova Weekly will be in business either."

Aiko's smug smile fell and she paled. Taking a glance towards Touko, the younger teen forced a smile and looked away. With a few words of how she's busy and must be going, the reporter quickly made her exit, but not before getting another warning from N: You saw nothing, you heard nothing.

"I really didn't want to be mean but she was so pushy."

"Most reporters are like that. It's what makes them good at their job."

"I never knew. They look decent on TV."

"Strange how different they are in person, right?"

"Yeah," he looked over at Touko, a small frown tugging at the corners of his lips. "I'm sorry, I didn't think she would bug you."

"It's okay, it didn't annoy me much."

N stared at her for awhile long before suddenly leaving the room. Touko blinked in confusion and wondered if she did or said something wrong. Or maybe he really needed to go to the washroom? When you got to go, you gotta go!

But when N didn't return after an hour, Touko begin to worry. She went into the corner and pressed the grey button and waited after the beep.

_"Yes?"_

"Oh, uhmm.. " She was expecting Anthea or Concordia to answer, or perhaps N, but it wasn't any of them.

_"If you are just pressing that button to annoy, I'll have someone go down right now and remove it." _The person didn't sound ecstatic and his 'better-than-thou' tone made Touko feel a little offended.

"I'm sure you have better things to do, kick back, relax and watch me on the security cameras but I'm just wondering where N is."

_"Foolish girl, you will address him as King or Master N. Show your respect for those higher in ranking than you. As for myself, I can be addressed as Sir."_

Touko almost couldn't believe she was being treated this way._ Almost_. These people thought she treated her Pokemon wrong but did they even know why she's here in the first place? Holding back the urge to curse at the Plasma member, she spoke in a controlled, sarcastic voice.

"Oh, forgive my rudeness, _Grunt_, but may I ask where the hell _your_ King is?"

_"You little bitch," _He hissed and the line went dead.

Touko's anger dropped into worry once again, but for a different reason. Within minutes, a Plasma member burst through the door, making the teen gulp. He stormed all the way into her cell and she swore that if door hadn't opened for him, he would have found another way in.

"Showing disrespect for your captors isn't very smooth." He stood a foot away from her, his hands balled up into fists and shaking in anger.

"Huh, as far as I know, N is the only one who earns my respect. You are just the scum on the bottom of my shoes." _'Hold your tongue, hold your damn tongue!'_

"Wench!" He suddenly struck out a fist and landed a solid hit on the teens shoulder.

Touko cried out and fell back onto the floor. Tears had started to run down her face while she gently prodding her tender shoulder. It would most likely leave a bruise. Fearfully, her cerulean blue eyes looked back at up Plasma member, who was now giving her a cruel smile.

"What exactly did I say about respecting those higher in ranking than you?"

_'I must have a death wish,' _was all the teen could think before gathering as much saliva as she could before aiming the wad at the Grunt's boots. Time stood still for a moment, the Grunt staring down in disbelief while Touko wore a 'what-the-hell-did-I-just-do' expression.

Snarling, the older male brought his dirtied foot back and aimed to kick at Touko's ribs but she moved quicker and kicked up at his crotch on instinct. If this had been any other situation, she would have cracked up at his expression but since it's not and his expression was torn between murdering her and pain, she decided to act fast.

The grunt fell to his knees then to his shoulders as he reached between his legs to cup his family jewels. Touko took this opening to escape through the door that the older man had forgotten to close behind him. But the moment she stepped past the glass walls, loud sirens started to go off.

_"Prisoner escape, I repeat, prisoner escape"_

_'Prisoner?'_ Touko didn't have time argue with someone who can't even hear her, so she ran out of the office.

Past the door were long hallways that had many doors and grand stair ways going down. She ran down a few, turning at random corners, opening many doors that usually had Grunts lazing around until they saw her. She ran into a empty kitchen, library and bathroom, considering hiding in all of them but she knew that if there was a camera in her room, there was no doubt camera's in these rooms too.

But she did a quick sweep up in the corners and sure enough, small black camera's moved back and forth, keeping surveillance on the area.

After a couple more more doors, she pushed open a metal one which entered into a stairwell. With no hidden camera's in sight.

Touko gripped the railings until her knuckles turned white while she tried skipping many steps on the way down. She didn't know how many stairs she went down but her breathing was starting to come out harsh and fast while her legs began to feel like jell-o.

Miscalculating the distance between her distance on the last step on who knows what floor, Touko tripped and got half of her face planted against the wall. She cried out upon impact, the scrape against her cheek causing her hiss afterwards.

Too tired and much too sore to continue going down the never ending stairwell, Touko backed up until she felt the chill of the wall against she back and slid down, bending her knees for a moment so she could lean her head against them. She jerked back after the painful throb came from her cheek and sighed.

Touko couldn't get too comfortable. Her laboured breathing already echoed in the stairwell, so the moment she heard voices, she can get up and bolt again but it would be a risk on which way was the right way to take.

But the teenager was just too tired. She lowered her head until it rested on her knees while she got her breathing under control. A sharp pain to her shoulder made her hiss and look up with wild eyes, afraid who she would be facing.

Worried, malachite green eyes was meet with petrified cerulean blue orbs. Touko felt herself beginning to hiccup and slumped into the curve of N's shoulder and she began to sob, tears falling freely down her face.

. . .

N was stunned to come back to the tower filled with chaos, sirens going off and group after group of Plasma members rushing all over the place. A message played on the intercom over and over, _'Prisoner escape,'_ and it sent a piercing chill down his spine. _'She ran,' _was his first thought before shoving the bag towards Anthea and ran to the middle of the foyer.

After gathering the Plasma members on the bottom floor, N ordered four of them to guard the door and separated the rest down different hallways. As King, the teen has to remain composed but on the inside, he was feeling anything but. He felt many jumbles of emotions he rarely felt, others he was all too familiar with.

He was glad when he decided to check the stairwell first since it seemed there hasn't been word yet on where Touko was on half of the floors. And much to his luck, after going up thirteen floors, he spotted the smaller teen sitting in a corner.

N's first thought was to scold her for escaping, much like his father did the first few times he tried to go see the Pokemon Anthea was recovering, but he had to remind himself that their relationship was friendship, not father and son.

He got to his knees in front of Touko and touched her shoulder, ready to shake her a bit and asked if she was trying to escape. But the barely audible hiss caused him to pull his hand back, expression turning to one of worry.

The look in her eyes made him feel a little helpless. And when she started to bawl on his shoulder, he didn't know how to comfort her. And at that moment, it hurt the most to know he didn't know how to soothe a crying friend. The best he could do was lamely pat her head. She either didn't mind or didn't care to notice.

After a couple of minutes, Touko calmed down, reducing to hiccups every few seconds.

N stood slowly, one arm wrapped around the smaller teens arm and a hand clasping her's. He guided her out of the stairwell and into the elevator, where he took them back to the top floor. The whole time she was silent, keeping her gaze to the floor and didn't react when he brought her back into the glass room.

"Here you go," He led her to the bed and she got up by herself and looked anywhere but his face. "Touko, what happened?

".. "

"Please, Touko?"

".. I was worried after you left. I thought I did something wrong. I tried contacting Anthea or Concordia. But it was a Plasma member. They were kinda rude so I couldn't resist back talking. He came here and.. "

"Go on."

"After a couple remarks, he.. " Touko bit her bottom lip and slid her hospital gown off one shoulder, showing him that now large blue-ish purple bruise.

".. He hit you?" He asked in disbelief and she nodded. "What about your cheek? Did he also.. ?"

"No," she shook her head. "That's me being a klutz and ramming face first into the wall."

"What's his name?"

"Eh?" For the first time they got back to her room, she looked him straight in the eye. There was something burning in his gaze and it confused her. "His name?"

"Yes, tell me his name. I'll make sure he knows not to bother you again." She frowned.

"Violence won't solve anything."

"But he-"

"What he did, didn't solve the problem between us. It just created more anger. The only way through this is talking. Besides, I never got the chance to ask his name after he decided to hit me."

N fumed, and let out a frustrated growl. He never suspected that a Plasma member, one of his own men, would attack Touko. He expected them to treat her like a guest because she was his only human friend.

Nothing was said between the two for awhile before the taller teen remembered something.

"You didn't run away."

"Because I was waiting for you."

N felt his heart speed up a little at the words and gave Touko a beaming smile. Touko gave him a weak smile of her own.

"I'll send Anthea here as soon as possible. She'll check the damage on your wounds, put ointment on it, so on. I'll get Concordia to ask who was on duty to watch you. Don't worry, I won't settle it with violence." He smiled one last time and left the room.

Touko let out a tired sigh and resisted the smile that threatened to take place.

Her plan had worked. Looking vulnerable in front of him and not running away. Gaining his trust from here on should be simple. Oh, how she wished she could have ran from this tower but she knew one way or another, he would find her and pulling a fast one on the King of Unova would probably put her in deeper crap than than she would like to be in.

But when Touko cried on N's shoulder, that was real, raw emotion. The teen felt so relieved to see him, she couldn't help but start crying. Originally, she would have pepped up after a good cry but the opportunity to look weak in front of the king doesn't present itself in front of her often, so she had to take what she could get.

What surprised Touko was the murderous tone N had used when asking for the Grunts name. She knew he used a threatening tone when needed, heck, maybe even a sarcastic tone, but it was the first time she heard such loathing. She couldn't look in his eyes before, thinking it would give her away but that changed with his voice. Thankfully he didn't notice anything.

There was something nagging in the back of Touko's mind, though. It felt too much like guilt and it didn't settle well with her. She should be feeling anything but guilt, like victory! She shouldn't be feeling guilty over deceiving her captor..

Quickly pushing the feeling out of her mind, Touko smiled weakly to Anthea when she walked into the room.

"Ms. Touko, I'm glad you're safe."

"As safe as I can be."

"Mhmm, yes. Now," She took out a syringe from a white lab coat she had put on before coming over. "It's sleepy time, yes?"

. . .

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. You can go to my profile and click Website for my DA where there is teaser pictures, fanart plus my journal where I will be posting reviews of the next chapter!

Fan Art links are located in my profile.

Hope chapter five was enjoyable!


	6. Chapter 6

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Chapter Six

. . .

Everything was blurred in Touko's vision when she opened her eyes. She was confused for a moment before remembering that needle Anthea poked into her without warning. After blinking a couple more times, everything started to clear.

"Oh, you're awake," N let out a gust of air he had been holding when the smaller teen first started to stir.

"That sneaky little.. "

"Please excuse her for her behavior. She prefers to check over her patients while they sleep."

"And why is that?"

"She tells me its because she enjoys her work more when her patients don't have their guard up."

"Huh.. "

Touko slowly sat up, still blinking every few seconds, and looked over to see N at the edge of her bed, giving a small smile. She forced a smile herself, feeling much too languid to give something more. Silently, the other teen handed her a bottle of water, which she took gratefully and drank more than half before fully satisfied.

"How long was I out for?"

"An hour. Anthea cleaned your wounds, lathered on ointment and placed a bandage on your cheek. She'll be by a couple of times every day for a week to give you cooling packs for your shoulder, though."

"I see," She murmured and reached down to expose her shoulder to see the damage, but when Touko's eyes met grey fabric instead of white, she stilled.

Looking down properly, Touko noticed she was wearing a grey t-shirt and black shorts. Gears were trying to turn around in her head but the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. So she settled for looking at the other teen with questioning eyes.

"You evolved nicely," he whispered but didn't return her gaze, settling for looking out at the dark blue waters. "And I thought it would be fitting to give you proper clothes to wear."

"I did? When?"

"You behaved well around the business men, no matter how many looked and stared at you. And you didn't give anything away to the reporter and as a true friend, you didn't rat me out."

Touko knew she should have argued for her dignity at the "behaved well" part but she only felt a swell of happiness. Being able to wear clothes again never felt so good.

"Thank you, really." Touko whispered while running her hands up and down the shirt.

".. I also wanted to give you something else." N confessed and walked over to the side of the bed.

"What is it?" Touko asked when she saw nothing in his hands.

Inhaling deeply, N reached behind his neck and unclasped his necklace. Once it came out from under the large white robe he wore everywhere, Touko immediately recognized it from all the times they had encountered.

"You want to give me.. that?"

"Yes. I know it's not as feminine as the choker but wearing this will assure you security and no Plasma member will raise a hand at you again." Touko felt torn between feeling bad about the choker she broke but also weird about him giving something personal of his.

"Are you really sure? I mean, I.. "

"I'm really sure, because you are my one and only precious friend." N gave a boyish smile and Touko felt her heart stutter a bit and she muttered something about cunning innocent boys.

"Alright." She nodded her head, giving him permission to put it on.

N happily reached over, putting one side of the chain around Touko's neck and meeting it up with the other side, successfully clasping it together. He stepped back to admire how well it looked on her but sort of clashed badly with the plain shirt.

Touko picked up the small Saturn looking object at the end and appraised it. It didn't feel light yet it didn't feel heavy, either. It felt just right.

"It was my mothers." N said suddenly, never taking his eyes off Touko.

".. What?" She dropped the object and it bounced against her chest twice.

"She died when I was young. A sickness the doctors couldn't cure got to her and she gave me this a week before she was gone."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Touko mumbled, suddenly feeling pity in the bottom of her stomach. He had gone through so much yet he still smiled for her. "If this is that important to you, then I don't have the right to accept it."

"But I want you to have it." N's face twisted into something between hurt and confusion and Touko couldn't hold his gaze for more than a couple seconds.

"N, this is something you should be giving to your girlfriend."

N's face went completely blank while staring at Touko. She was beginning to feel unnerved until he spoke again.

"Girlfriend? What's the difference between that and a friend?

"Oh, well, a friend is.. someone you hang out with, which you can do with a girlfriend too, but sometimes more.. uhm.. "

"You're not making any sense."

Touko flushed and glared at him, almost flinching back at the innocent curiosity on his face. _'How am I suppose to explain to practically grown man the difference between friends and girlfriends?'_ she thought and started to fidget nervously.

"J- just think about it! Friends are at one level and girlfriends are at a whole different level."

".. You mean like a Purrloin and Liepard?"

Touko deeply wished she could smack him upside the head. Is Pokemon the only thing he can compare things to?

"Yes. And no."

"Explain."

"Irk.. " Touko briefly wondered, what Anthea and Concordia were doing during his life when he hit puberty, before trying to think of a way to explain the difference in relationships. "The relationship between you and your dad is father and son. The relationship between you and the Sage Ghetsis is King and.. side-kick." She honest had no clue the relationships the Sages had with the King.

"They're both different even though we are the same people." N confirmed and she nodded eagerly.

"Right. So, with friends, you treat them different than how you treat your dad or Sage. You have fun with them, hang out at the movies or go on rides, so on. A girlfriend will have to be treated differently."

"How so?"

"Uhm, well.. with a girlfriend, you hold each other's hands, k-kiss and intimate stuff like that! Do you get it now?"

"Sort of.. " N bit his bottom lip and Touko wanted to cry out in embarrassment.

"Friends are friends but not all friends can be girlfriends! Girlfriends are special!"

".. Oh! I get it now, I think."

"Good," Touko muttered and shook her head lightly in disbelief at the whole conversation.

"Can I have more than one girlfriend?"

"Well, it's not recommended. It'll be pretty dangerous for you if your first girlfriend finds out."

"What would happen?"

"She'll break up with you. She will cuss up a storm and never talk to you again. She'll ignore you and you won't have a second chance. But that also depends on the person. So just get one girlfriend and you'll be fine."

"That doesn't exactly seem like a pleasing situation to be in."

"That's right. Besides, you'll probably find out that one girlfriend is a handful, so how would you be able to handle two?" N shivered at the idea.

"Can you be my girlfriend?" Touko was flabbergasted he would even ask.

"No!"

"Why not? I can be your girlfriend, too."

"You know, N, sometimes I think you're just borderline retarded."

"Hey!" He crossed his arms and glared halfheartedly at her. "That's pretty rude."

"Don't worry, as a friend, I have the right to call you anything I desire."

"Yeah, but.. wait.. friend? Do you finally think of me as a friend now?"

"I.. do," Touko huffed. It was half the truth, anyways.

"Really?" He gave such an amazing smile, Touko almost forgot how to breathe.

"Y-yeah. Anyways, you can't be a girlfriend too. When you go into a relationship, the boy would be the boyfriend."

"Boyfriend.. and I assume the girlfriend will treat him like a special friend."

"Yeah."

"But why won't you be my girlfriend?"

"I just don't see you in that light," she sighed tiredly, wanting to move onto a different subject already. "Look, friends is as far as we'll ever go, okay? And don't pout, it's not manly." Now it was N's turn to huff.

"I don't pout."

"Keep telling yourself that, buddy."

N chuckled shortly before there was a knock at the door. He straightened himself and walked out of Touko's room but didn't bother having her door closed. This caused the smaller teen to blink owlishly at his back. After clearing his throat, he ordered the person to come in.

"King," Two Shadow Triad members said upon entering, one opening the door awhile the other held a huge basket filled with random goods. They both bowed deeply before presenting the basket to their leader's son.

"What's this for?"

"Delivery. After your announcement, many people who agreed on your views wanted to send you gifts. We have looked through it all to make sure there was nothing dangerous."

"Really?" N asked, surprised. "I should send out thank you letters to them, then."

"Already done." The way they talked and answered in unison creeped Touko out a little but she said nothing as she took a few bold steps out of her room.

One Shadow Triad member looked in her direction for a second before putting the basket of goods onto their King's desk, both bowing deeply once more before backing out of the room and closing the door.

N wasted no time going over to his desk to inspect the presents in the basket. Touko came over to his side, curiosity kicking in as she watched him rummage through the gifts. There were a lot of thank you cards, candy, little knick knacks, miniature Buddha statues and art work.

"A bottle?" N questioned, picking up the glass bottle by the neck and inspected the body but finding no label. "I was just getting thirsty." Twisting the cap off, he took a few gulps.

"Uhm, should you really be drinking tha.. " Touko's sentenced died after he took the first drink.

"Ugh, it tastes bitter," Yet he continued to drink it. She watched, mildly in amusement and mildly worried. _'Normal people don't drink suspicious drinks.. Oh, wait.. _' She had to remind herself not to mix the taller teen in the Normal category.

"Ah, it tastes a bit better when I drink it leisurely," he concluded and set the bottle down before digging through the rest of the basket.

"This looks yummy," Touko pointed to a wrapped candy cube and N picked it up and handed it to her. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. Besides, there's plenty more. Help yourself."

Touko quietly thanked him, unwrapped the small cube and popped the blue candy in her mouth. At first it tasted really sweet but after a moment it turned sour, causing her mouth to water and her face to scrunch up. She tried chewing it quickly while trying not the drool at the same time, wondering why these would even pass as gifts.

N looked up, wondering why his friend had gone silent and saw her face pinched up. He couldn't help but laugh loudly, grabbing a hold of his sore midsection.

"W- what's with that face!" Touko couldn't chew any longer and spat the offending candy into the garbage.

"It's really sour! Ugh! Gimmie that!" She reached for the bottle and took a quick swig before setting it back down. She nearly hurled up her stomach acids. Sour and bitter really didn't go well together. N laughed again at her expression, taking a big swig from the bottle and settled it down, his expression bunching up for a second before he continue to look through the gifts.

"I'm just gonna.. get a drink from my room.. " Touko breathed heavily, not liking how her stomach rumbled at the unwelcoming liquid. "You know, that drink really tastes bad, and funny. Maybe you should ask someone to identify it for you."

"But the Shadow Triad already did so. It's safe, don't worry."

Touko said nothing as she went into her room, grabbed a water bottled and swished the liquid in her mouth, wanting badly to get rid of the awful mixed taste in her mouth. She didn't know how N could stand it. But he had yet to try the sour candy with it.

"Ugh.. I feel so warm.. and the room is kind of tipping," N groaned and moved to sit down but missed it completely and fell butt flat onto the floor. "Ouch.. "

"N, are you alright?" Touko stepped back out of her room and headed straight for the fallen teen on the ground.

"Mhmm fine, just.. wobbly.. "

"Wobbly.. " She echoed and reached for his hand.

N grabbed her wrist instead and pulled a little too hard, causing Touko to face plant into the chair and kneeing him in the chest, thus causing him to fall backwards. She let out a grunt and he started to laugh at the nonsense of it all.

"Ha ha, wise ass. You don't know your own strength." She stood up and rubbed her face with her free hand, seeing as how N still held the other one captive.

"You know, I never realized how slender your wrists are. Much different than a guys wrist." He sat up and compared their wrists by setting them side my side. Touko looked down in interest, a small, amused, smiling curving her lips.

"Keep sweet talking like that and you might just melt my heart," she joked but the other teen suddenly grabbed hold of her hand and started to swing their joined hands from side to side.

"Look! We're boyfriend and girlfriend now, right?" Touko groaned. She really didn't want to venture on that subject again.

"No. Just friends. Sometimes friends hold each others hands too." N just smiled and continued to swing their limbs back and forth.

After awhile he got tired of sitting on the floor and stood up, but not without the help of Touko since he clearly had problems doing it on his own. After stumbling over his feet and uncoordinated walking, Touko frowned deeply.

"Are you.. drunk?"

"I don't think so. But I feel good." He smiled sheepishly and started to walk around his office. Touko picked up the bottle and sniffed it as bit before jerking back.

"It smells like alcohol a bit, along with death. This must be sake, N. You're drunk and.. NO, DON'T DO THAT!"

Touko bolted for her room the moment she saw N trying to lift up her mattress to get access to those forbidden books.

"Touko," He whined and tried getting around her but she easily kept him back.

"These will crush your childhood, you'll never look at women the same again."

"Will they help me understand relationships better?"

"Erm, they could, but.. "

"Then I want to read one." He stubbornly lifted his chin and crossed his arms. Right now, this image looked too perfect for a King. Too bad he's _drunk_.

"Fine. But you'll get it once you.. sleep this off." Touko waved at his state and he frowned.

"Am I drunk?"

"It seems like it."

"That drink.. "

"Wasn't checked properly."

"Am I in trouble?"

"Depends on who you deal with."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No. Just worried. But mostly amused."

"Thanks." He gave a goofy grin and Touko couldn't help but smile back. "That's a weak smile."

"You've noticed." He nodded.

"I notice a lot of things. When you've lived around adults your whole life, you're forced to think like them, take notice of their actions and expressions."

"Do you.. wish you could have had a normal childhood?"

"Yes and no. Yes, so I could have friends like you. And no, or else I wouldn't be helping out Pokemon like I'm doing now."

"I wanted to thank you.. for allowing me to see Victini." Touko felt her lips tremble but refused to cry. N smiled again and patted her shoulder.

"No problem. I don't like seeing my friend in pain."

_'Yet you don't see how much I am in when you keep me locked up,'_ she thought with a quick shake of her head.

"You aren't running." She blinked.

"Do I have a reason to?"

"You want freedom."

"But I also want your friendship." He smiled.

"Sometimes I feel like giving up because there's so much work and pressure. I wonder all the time if the Sage's regret making me their king."

"But you'll keep moving forward."

"Because I love Pokemon."

It was silent for awhile between the two. Touko pointed out that N was pretty open when he was drunk, and honest. He looked relaxed and carefree, much too different from the composed expression and tense shoulders he has all day. She felt a twinge of remorse after realizing she never thought about how it would be like to walk in his shoe's for a day, a load released onto his shoulders since he was young.

"The room still spins," He chuckled and walked out of Touko's room.

"Okay, maybe you should sit down. I'll try and get Anthea or Concordia come over to help you."

"Sake sure is something,"

"I bet," she muttered and quickly went over to the button in her room, pressing it and speaking quickly. "Anthea or Concordia, be_ darlings _and fetch your drunk King. Thanks." There was a giggle on the intercom before it cut off.

Minutes later, Concordia walked in with an amused smile on her face. Touko couldn't help but scowl in her direction and the older woman chuckled lightly. Cerulean eyes watched the other as she made her way to N, who was lazing about on his desk, wiggling his body slightly like a worm.

"Concordia, if feels good."

"Oh, Master N, sleep also feels good."

"It does, doesn't it."

"Mhmm." Concordia did her best to help N sit up but was proving to have a difficult time.

"He can't be that heavy. He's almost like a string bean," Touko joked lightly and Concordia glared half -heartedly. She pressed the little button on the desk and spoke.

"May I have a Plasma member come up here, as soon as possible, to help our dear King, please and thank you." It wasn't long before someone walked through the door.

"Miss Concordia," He bowed but kept his gaze to the ground.

"Help Master N up, then we'll take him to his room,"

"Yes."

The Grunt got to work right away, easily helping N into a sitting position then slowly slid him off the desk. The young King stumbled a bit before regaining his composure. After sliding his arms around the younger boy's shoulders, the Grunt started to guide him out of the room.

"G'night, Toukoooo."

"Good.. night.. " She mumbled and refrained from saying any offending remarks while one of Plasma's Goddesses were present.

"Have a pleasant night, Miss Touko." Concordia gave a bow before following the Grunt and her King.

Touko stared at the wall in silence, not believing what exactly happened. It almost felt too private to see N drunk and stumbling about, without a care in the world. Perhaps he needed to let loose once in awhile, but without alcohol.

Now to confirm something..

Touko took a weary glance at her.. open door. She tip-toed on over, standing right outside of her room. _'The line between freedom and sanity, heaven and hell, death and life!'_

"Pfft," The teen chuckled darkly at her own thoughts and stepped through her door, trying to settle her stammering heart.

When the door didn't close, Touko let out a short, unbelievable laugh. She gained enough courage to walk in and out of her room, basking in the freedom she had until she heard a cough on the other side of the room. Stopping dead in her tracks, Touko turned to the intruder and fought back a grimace.

"Simple things to amuse simple minds," Ghetsis sniffed and sent the young teen a mildly disgusted look. She frowned back at him.

"I assume you're here to tell me something? You don't seem like a person to just drop by to see about my well being."

"Correct," His voice was clipped, gaze sharp. "I must congratulate you on allowing N to get drunk. I almost thought you would try to stop him."

"Wait.. you're the one who put that sake bottle in the basket?"

"Indeed. N has been taught how foolish people are when they get drunk. Impaired and stupid decisions. No doubt, while he was mildly drunk, he was also testing you. He's always testing you. He wants to see if you'll ever run if given the chance, escape when he can't stop you. Of course if he can't, a Plasma member or the Shadow Triad will."

"Testing me.. to build trust?"

"Hmfp," Ghetsis grumbled and grabbed the half empty sake bottle and taking a leisure sip.

"I am to assume that this is to help me get out of here quicker?"

"Yes."

"I don't know what to say," she murmured. "Either call you a monster or say thanks."

"The latter will do."

"But what you did is wrong!"

"Don't! Don't you dare go soft on him or me. He has to learn from his mistakes."

"And what mistake is that?

"Trust. He should trust no one but himself. And by the end of it all, when you're gone, it'll hit him hard and then he will learn that friendship isn't what he needs for humans, but only Pokemon."

Touko felt speechless and apprehensive. Disturbed by the monster standing in front of her, wearing a smug smirk and without a trace of guilt on his face. She couldn't believe that someone like him existed, cold and cunning. But the smirk was gone when the Sage suddenly turned around, stalked to the door and wretched it open.

"Looks like.. we have a peeping tom." Ghetsis drawled to Hoshi who was standing there like a Deerling stuck in headlights. "Get inside," the older man hissed.

"Hoshi," Touko frowned, wondering what he could be doing here and asked.

"I was on duty for security duty and when I saw you going in and out of your room, I was amused and since you seemed to be in a better mood, I thought you would want some company for awhile.." He trailed off, taking nervous glances between Touko and Ghetsis. "But when I got here, I heard Sage Ghetsis talking to you and I was going to leave right away but I caught the sentence that he had given King N the sake.. so I stayed.. "

"You know it is a violation within our group to eavesdrop." Ghetsis murmured, glaring at the man from the corner of his eye. "How should we kill you?" The younger male paled and Touko immediately spoke up.

"Whoa, whoa! Kill? You can't be serious!"

"If you haven't noticed yet, _Miss_ Touko," he mocked and sneered at her. "We are a very serious group. We even killed off the member who hit you."

Touko felt her blood run cold at that heavy piece of information and back up until she was back into her room, which should have made her feel safe but with the door not closing anymore, she felt more like a trapped Munna.

"Did your King order him to be killed?" She couldn't keep her voice from quivering and hated the weakness that she displayed.

"Of course not. N has too much passion for such an order to be made. Although, a reward was sent out to the Grunts' family, compensating his 'sudden death' but it's more for helping you build _trust_ quicker."

"Why did he get killed in the first place? A warning would have been sufficient."

"Giving a warning to Team Plasma is like rewarding them without a treat. They'll heed it for awhile but if a chance should rise again, they'll jump at it. We've tried warnings before but it never worked out. So we tell them that death is the penalty so it'll keep them in line."

"You sick bastard," the teen hissed and was ready to lunge at him but Hoshi stepped in, grabbing her by the wrists. She struggled with all she had but it wasn't enough for male strength.

"Calm yourself, Miss Touko. If you harm him in anyway, you'll be placed in front of all the great Sages, where they will decide your fate. Punishment or death."

"Mhm. I'd hate to kill you off, Hoshi, you are one of the best we have." Ghetsis sighed, as if he truly meant what he said.

"No, please, don't kill him. Don't kill anyone!" Touko struggled hard and tried kicking Hoshi where the sun don't shine but he side stepped the attack.

"You've got to learn to live by our rules, foolish girl."

"He can help!"

"Hrm?" He regarded her with cool eyes before flicking his gaze up to the Plasma member who's shoulders were slightly shaking. "In what way?"

"He can help me grow my friendship with N, he can help you with the diversion, with whatever! It's perfect! To have a Plasma member in on it will be great to our advantage." Ghetsis rubbed his chin and jaw line, thinking for a moment before giving a sharp huff.

"Very well. You can fill him on in this and from here on, he's expected to do everything he can to get you out."

Without another word, the older man spun on the spot, stalking out of the room, sake bottle still in hand. Hoshi released Touko's wrists and she headed for her room, come to terms of a heavy responsibility for someone's life now resting on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't think of any other way to save your life," she whispered and stared out at the black waters, watching Hoshi in the reflection of the glass. He stayed rooted on his spot, barely blinking, face scrunched up in concentration.

"It's.. fine. I must thank you. But you have a lot of explaining to do," He forced smiled and walked into the bedroom. Touko turned around and gave him a tired smile of her own.

"Alright, but first," She went over to her bed, stuck a hand out of the mattress and pulled out a random book and handed it to Hoshi. "Set this in N's room before you do anything else tonight."

"'Pika Her Chu'.. " He said it slowly after taking it from her hands. A slender single brow rose and she shrugged.

"Evolving friendship."

"Evolving, alright.. " He mumbled and sat down on the bed, patting the spot beside him. "Now, tell me everything."

Touko held back a sigh and nodded. Hopefully this will make things easier around here.

. .

A/N: Thanks to my Beta, lostangel565! A pleasure to be working with you!

Once again, my DA link is in my profile, just click Webpage. There, I'll post up pictures of future, present chapters or just moments between N, Touko and Hoshi. In my journal, I will also give a sneak peek to the next chapter that will be going up! Enjoy.


	7. Chapter 7

Eden

Disclaimer: I no not own Pokemon.

Chapter Seven.

. . .

It took nearly two hours for Touko to tell the story to Hoshi and to answer his questions. The poor grunt stared vacantly outside at the dark waters, mouth hanging slightly. He couldn't believe what was going on behind the scenes, scheming by no one other than a great Sage, N's own father!

"This is messed up," was all the older male could mutter, not really knowing what else to say.

"You got that right," Touko mumbled back, eyeing the book in Hoshi's hands with distaste.

Awkward silence filled the room. Neither person not knowing what to say pass this point. The Plasma member coughed nervously and held the book in front of them, stuttering a little before finally finding his bearings.

"So.. this book.. friendship.. "

"Yeah.. " Touko never felt so awkward in her life before. "The king was asking the difference between friends, girlfriends and boyfriends. It was difficult to explain."

"That, I have no doubt of. If you give him this, it'll probably teach him about the Pidgey's and the Beedrill's."

"That's great," the teen sighed, "Two in one deal. He'll be thankful.".

"But his father won't like it very much. I've learned that we're restricted to speak of such things around our king."

"Why?" Touko blinked in confusion.

"Sage Ghetsis wishes for the king to stay as.. pure as possible. He thinks that once he finds out the beautiful pleasure women can give, he'll turn into a typical teenage horn dog and lose track of what's important."

"Huh, " Touko blushed at that and shook her head. "No wonder why he wants to get rid of me fast."

"I don't blame him, you're quite tempting," Hoshi laughed when the teen's faced turned a nice shade of red.

"H- Hoshi, please!"

"Fine, fine," He chuckled and patted her head.

"Hoshi.. you don't.. I mean.. "

"Of course not," he whispered with a quick shake of his head. "I'm six, seven years older than you. You're more like a younger sister I never had. Besides, I had a expecting wife at home."

"I'm glad," Touko let out a sigh of relief and nudged the older male lightly in the ribs. "Expecting, huh? Tell me about your wife."

Hoshi smiled and began a excited rant, talking about how beautiful his wife is, how she was sent from heaven and all that jazz. He would have continued on if Touko hadn't remind him to actually tell her about his other half, not just how she looks. He confessed that whenever his wife is brought into conversation, he can't help but gush nonstop about her. Just like a high school girl gushing over the next rising star.

After twenty minutes went by, Touko felt her eyes starting to droop and Hoshi declared it was time for the young teen's beauty sleep. She shot back dryly that it's time for his beastly sleep and he chuckled.

"Don't forget about dropping off that evil novel in the king's room."

"Of course, your majesty," Hoshi bowed mockingly before leaving the room.

Touko waited until he was out of the room before changing into the hospital gown, crawling under the covers and falling asleep within seconds her head hit the pillow.

. . .

The next day, Touko was feeling pumped and energized. On the way to the shower, she didn't care about the floor being cold, her mood being too good to whine about something so trivial. The teen even sang in the shower, even if she was off key more than half of the time. It felt like nothing could bring her down. All because she now had another, _trusted_, person to help her out of here.

But by the afternoon, Touko was feeling extremely bored. She was waiting all morning for N to come to office so she could work on the friendship thing but all she got was a visit from Concordia, who brought the teen a food tray. Usually Concordia was all smiles and chuckles but today, she had trouble keeping a scowl off her face.

"Did I do something wrong?" Touko asked, almost hesitantly.

"Hmfp." Concordia sniffed in disdain and left the room.

Touko's good mood then started to hammer down fast. _'What did I do wrong? Did I mess up somewhere_?' she thought worriedly and started to pace around her room, wracking her brain to yesterdays events. She thought that, perhaps, the Goddesses didn't appreciate N getting drunk, and her allowing it._ 'It's not as if I knew it was sake!'_

Just when Touko was going to scream in frustration, the office door opened and N walked through gracefully, head held high. _'Maybe something good happened.. '_ Touko deeply wished, watching the other teen with wary eyes. The king went straight to his desk and started to work.

Touko really had no idea what to say, or do. N usually came over to talk with the smaller teen, ask unimportant questions and whatnot, but he just totally ignored her. Now she really started to worry.

"N.. ?" Touko tapped the glass with a finger nail, not feeling bold enough to knock on it nor was she brave enough to walk out of her room and go up to him.

The king's eyes flashed at her and he stared for awhile, making the other teen uncomfortable under his intense gaze. Without a word, he got up and strode over within a couple of a steps. Touko stumbled back when he got closer until he was stand in her room, staring her down.

Before Touko can say anything, N dropped down to one knee, pulled out a crushed rose from his pocket and presented it to the other teen while his other hand rested on his chest.

"Oh, though beautiful maiden Mariko.. erm, Touko. Will thy join thee for a night filled with hot passions?"

Touko gawked. Her jaw completely dropped and she thought her eyes would bulge from her skull. Despite the surprised expressions, N kept his face serious though his hand started to waver from behind held up for so long.

"What.. the hell are you doing?" Touko finally asked after a couple more moments of staring and N frowned, finally dropping his hand.

"I'm asking you to _'join thee for a night filled with hot passions.'_."

"Okay, but _why_?"

"It's what the book says!"

Touko wanted to cry. Either from laughter or madness, she didn't know yet. The young teen couldn't honestly believe she naively thought the book would help the king understand relationships better. Perhaps between a man and women in sexual relations but it didn't nothing to help with platonic relations.

"Now I understand why Concordia is upset." Touko mumbled.

"When she brought me breakfast this morning, she almost dropped the food tray in shock. She asked if I stole Anthea's book without her looking but I told her that Anthea let you borrow it and you gave it to me. Then she tried coaxing me into handing it over but when I said it was for research, I thought she would faint on the spot." N chuckled and stood up.

"Taking lessons would be easier, not repeat word for word from a book." N frowned.

"A teacher would be fitting for that."

"Get one."

"Why don't you teach me?"

"I won't be good," she admitted honestly.

"Why not? You have books for research too."

"I don't know about males, especially teenage boys," Touko confessed with a shrug.

"So you're the same as me," N confirmed, seemingly happy he wasn't the only one left in the dark.

"In a way," she murmured and looked out to sea. "I suppose."

The young king beamed and headed towards his desk, pumped and ready for work. Touko, on the other hand, sat on the bed, limply, while staring vacantly to the outside world. _'Can't believe we're alike in that department.. _' she blushed. _'S- sure, I've thought about s-sex! It made me curious but I'm not just going to do it with anyone!'_

Touko wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she was the type of girl to wait for _'the one' _to come by and whisk her off her feet in a single moment. Or maybe if feelings between her and Touya grew..

She furiously shook her head. Touya didn't see her that way. On the other hand, Cheren clearly made it obvious to them all. He'd act like a know-it-all and tease the smaller teen when given the chance. He also would also try to impress her any way he can. Touko thought it was cute. But there was a down side to it all.

Belle. Sweet, clumsy Belle. The blonde always stuttered and lost her footing around Cheren. Now that was _painfully_ obvious who she liked. Touko would catch a glimpse of hurt on the sweet girl's face when Cheren would flirt, but she hid it well with a forced smile.

Just when Touko was about to think about who Touya could possibly like, the door opened to reveal a grunt with papers in his. He bowed to his king before walking in and dropping the papers off.

"King, the ship and plane arrived in from the Kanto and Johto regions. They do not know of the new law, yet."

"Hrm.. " N's eyebrows pinched together in thought for a moment before relaxing. "Have the captains of both transportation's inform the travelers. They are allowed their own Pokemon within Unova, as long as they're just visiting, but if they try catching any Pokemon here, they'll be put in jail until their embassy comes to collect them."

"Yes, sir." The grunt bowed once again before leaving the room.

Touko didn't bother saying anything about how it's not fair to the poor souls who came here to catch Pokemon but she knew it would fall on deaf ears. What about the trainers who came to battle gym leaders or the Elite Four? They would be wasting their time and money coming here.

"N, what is Unova without Pokemon trainers?"

"A peaceful country."

After the _'pleasant' _exchange between Touko and N, the young king sensed the slight withdrawal in the smaller teen's appearance, causing him to frown, and without another word, he walked back over to his desk and got to work.

Hours went by with silence between the two, N working and Touko reading. By evening, the king finally looked up from his work and asked the other teen a question.

"Touko, do you want to go to the amusement park?" N asked, setting down his pen to turn his attention to the smaller teen.

"Eh?" Touko looked up from the fashion magazine she must had read more than ten times, blinking owlishly.

"W-well, I was thinking lately that it would be nice for you to get some fresh air. Kind of like a date, maybe?"

"Dates are for couples, though." Touko frowned at him, not really wanting to go through it all again.

"That's true, but friends can also go out together."

"Where did you learn that?"

"In the book you let me read, the characters went out before becoming girlfriend and boyfriend," he grinned. "And I confirmed it with both Anthea and Concordia."

"You actually asked them if friends went out on dates?"

"Yep."

Touko finally closed her book to think this through seriously. _'He wants to go on a date with me.. but that could mean anywhere, not just outside. For all I know, they have a restaurant in the tower.'_

"What did you have in mind?" N perked up now that he had the other's attention.

"Well, I was thinking, maybe, we can go to the Amusement Park in Nimbasa City?"

"Amusement Park.. " Touko murmured, remember the last time she was there.

"Yes. I was hoping we could do more this time."

"Sure.. I've been dying for fresh air."

"Great! Just let me get my Zoroark."

"What for?"

"So he can disguise himself as you. If my dad finds out I took you out of Livery Garden Tower, we'll be in trouble," N gave a devilish smile and headed for the door. "I'll also get Hoshi on duty for the security room. Not much members should be up and about since it's almost night time."

"Oh, okay." But the young king hadn't heard her since he was long gone.

Touko waited nervously for N's return, shifting from foot to foot and fidgeting. When the door opened again, it nearly caused her to have a heart attack. Anthea stepped through the door, a flat box in hand, and walked towards the young woman.

"Since you accepted the date," The goddess started out, putting the box onto the bed and taking the top off. "Concordia and I had a feeling you would, we went to town earlier to buy you a dress."

"A.. dress.. " Touko honestly couldn't remember the last time she wore something formal. All she had worn was a white tank top, black vest and blue daisy dukes.

"Do you not like it?" Anthea asked and held the dress up.

It was a simple light blue sun dress that stopped right above the knees. Touko stopped all negative thoughts and went to inspect the not-so-offended dress. Anthea handed it over and the teen held it against her frame and looked down.

"How is it?"

"The dress? It's pretty."

"I know that," Touko rolled her eyes. "I meant how does it look on me?"

"How about you go try it on first so I can give you a better answer."

".. Right." Touko took the dress over to the bathroom area, stripping down to her underwear and stepping into the foreign clothing.

"Be Careful with that dress. It wasn't exactly cheap."

"Why couldn't you have just bought a nice shirt and skirt, or something?"

"Because this is Master N's second date with you. He claims that the first date wasn't exactly how he planned his first to be, but back then he didn't expect to be keeping you here now. So he wanted to recreate the night, more properly, this time."

"I see," Touko mumbled.

"Are you done yet?"

Hesitantly, Touko stepped out from the bathroom area, pink tinting her cheeks at how free is felt to not wear shorts. She did a small twirl for Anthea, who applauded and complemented on how good it look on her.

"Yes, this was the right choice. It hides the natural curves of your body, not that you have much."

"Eh?" Touko fumed and glared at the older woman.

"Well, we can't have you seducing our Master N, can we? Concordia had actually picked out a nice black cocktail dress but it seemed too much for a date at an amusement park. Plus, we didn't think you had the chest to fill it out." Anthea chuckled, mirth dancing in her eyes at Touko's anger.

"Touko, wow.. " N entered the room without either of the women hearing him. "You look.. beautiful."

Touko felt her whole face flushed, looked down in embarrassment and mumbled a thanks. The young king smiled and thanked Anthea, who bowed to him and left the room so the two could be alone. N was wearing a white dress shirt and black slacks.

"You look pretty dashing yourself," Touko murmured, flushing more when N gave another boyish smile.

"There's a hundred Plasma members on duty tonight, so I only asked fifty of them to come guard at the amusement park."

"Why do you need so many to guard the tower?"

"Well, there's only a hundred floors in the tower."

"Only?" Touko furrowed her brows, now knowing why the stairwell seemed to be never ending.

"Yeah. One Plasma member per floor. But during the day we have two hundred guarding."

"Wow."

"Mhmm," N hummed and pulled out a pokeball from his pocket. Touko felt her legs weakening, she hadn't seen one in so long.

"Zoroark!" The king called forth his Pokemon, the red and black fox looking Pokemon appeared in a white flash. It stood with tall, even with it's legs bent, and it stared at N with admiration.

"Hello, my friend," N smiled.

"Zooooor," the Pokemon crooned.

"I'm doing fine, thank you." he nodded towards his friend before getting down to business. "I have a favor to ask you."

"Zoor?"

"I want you to use your illusion ability and disguise yourself as Touko here," he gestured to the teen behind me. "Except wearing a grey shirt and black shorts. Then you can sleep on her bed there, Okay?"

"Zooor!" The Pokemon nodded eagerly and with a black puff of smoke, the Zoroark turned into a splitting image of Touko.

"Whoa.. " She murmured, staring wide eyed. Her 'twin', though, only glared at the real person, spun on it's heals and headed for the bed. "Is he not happy with my looks?"

"It's not that. He just remembers being defeated, badly, by your Hydreigon." N smiled sheepishly and Touko felt a hard pang at the mention of her precious friend. "Okay, let's go!"

. . .

Touko still couldn't believe they had made it to Nimbasa City in one piece. When leaving the room, she planned on asking if he thought about how exactly they were going to waltz out of the tower without a Sage seeing them and N simple opened a near by window, grabbed Touko by the waist and threw them outside the window. She was ready to scream but the wind was knocked out of her when they landed on something had yet soft.

"We'll get a ride by Reshiram but we'll be dropped off near the outskirts of town, so no one will see him."

"Have you gone mad?"

Touko scolded him all the way there, saying how she almost died of a stroke or how they could have easily missed Reshiram and fell to their deaths. N just laughed it off, feeling too carefree to take her seriously. Touko's anger ebbed away at the sound of his laughter and gave an amused chuckled herself.

Once they were dropped off, Reshiram flew off in a flash and Touko gave N a questioning look.

"No matter how far Reshiram is, he'll hear my voice, and he'll come."

"Oh." was the smaller teens lame reply and they began to walk into Nimbasa city.

Nimbasa City was lit up brightly with flashing neon lights, casinos, bars and many other things. N immediately dragged Touko to the amusement park, paying the fee to get in and taking her to the snack stall.

"Would you like anything to eat?"

"Mhmm," Touko hummed while looking at all the delicious candy and greasy foods. "I'd like.. the Slowpoke Tail cotton candy, please."

The middle-aged man behind the stall grinned, took the wrapped candy down and handed it to Touko, before turning to N, his eyes widening.

"K-King! I didn't know you were coming! If I did then I, I would have made something special!" N shook his head.

"I'm here tonight as a customer, taking out a friend." The words didn't soothe the stall owner one bit. "I'll have.. the Voltorb sucker, please."

The stall owner picked up the sucker from a huge bucket and handed it to N. When the king pulled out his wallet to pay for the treats, the stall owner stammered that is was 'on the stall'. So they left and free candy.

"That was nice of him." N commented, even though there was a some bitterness in his tone.

"Let's try to have a good night," Touko pleaded and after a moment, N let out a sigh and nodded in agreement.

While they nibbled on their treats, the two teens wondered around the amusement park, watched other kids and adults play games for prizes. Sometimes they stopped by a stall to cheer little kids on. Somewhere along the way, Touko actually convinced N to try a game out with her. He had been afraid to even go near the gun looking object but the smaller teen convinced him that all it did was shoot water. To prove her point, the squeezed the trigger.

"Hey! If you're going to waste water then play the game!"

"Oops, looks like we have to now." She grinned.

"Hah, you're sneaky."

The stall owner explained the game to them, which was simple. Aim the water on the round dot of the Pokemon and whoever rises to the top, wins a stuffed Pokemon. A loud horn sounded off, signaling the race but it scared N and he ended up spraying the water everywhere else except at his target.

"Ah! Damn!" He groaned and aimed it properly but by the time his target moved up, Touko had won the game.

"Yes!" She cheered and grinned gleefully at N, who gave a halfhearted scowl right back at her.

"Okay, little missy, you can choose any of those small prizes at the bottom. But, if you win three more time, you can upgrade to a medium size prizes, win ten times, you get the large prize. How about it?"

"The small prize is enough for me," Touko confessed.

"Alrighty. Which one is it?"

"Hmm.. I'll have the Audino one, please."

"Very well. Have a good night, two you."

"Thank you very much."

Touko held her small plush Audino in front of her, admiring how cute it was before handing it to N. He gave her a confused look before taking it hesitantly.

"Would you like me to hold this."

"Yes. And keep it."

"What?"

"It wasn't fair to you. I never told you about the sirens going off before you start. It's possible you could have won."

"No, you won fair and square," he tried handing the plush back to her. "It's only right that you get the prize."

"Okay, I won fair and square. Now I'm giving you the plush for being a good sport."

N grunted but held onto the Audino more firmly. From the corner of her eyes, Touko could see the small smile on his face. They wondered around a couple more stalls, playing a few games, before they entered the area with the rides.

"There's so many," the king murmured and Touko nodded in agreement.

"But it is late, many of them are starting to close down."

"Do you.. want to go home?" N's voice was so quiet, Touko almost strained to hear it.

"I want to go on that one before we go," she pointed to the Ferris wheel.

N couldn't suppress the huge grin threatening to split his face and grabbed Touko's hand, dragging her in line for the ride. They didn't have to wait long, since mainly couples go on this ride and it was late, they were on within five minutes.

The two teens admired the view silently, before Touko squinted to look at the people properly. The sight made her heart sink a little and wondered if she should bring this up now with N or not, in fear it would ruin their night.

"N.. is it weird to see those trainers without Pokemon?"

"Hmm?" The king looked down to where his friend pointed. "Sort of. This city depended heavily on Pokemon trainers and entertainment for attraction. I find that wrong. They can find their entertainment another way."

"I know, but, whenever I passed through Nimbasa City, I always see Pokemon with their trainers. Just relaxing."

"Touko, what is the world to you, without Pokemon?" The smaller teen stared at the other, remembering she asked him the same thing earlier today and turned to look out the window.

"Lonely."

The orange sunset ray sat beautiful on Touko's lightly tanned skin and it made her eyes look like fire was dancing within them. She smiled at something, pointed and turned to N, ready to tell him to look but his facial expression stopped her from doing so. It was intense, almost so intimidating that the smile on Touko's face dropped.

"N, what's wrong?"

N leaned forward, placing a hand on either side of Touko's face to hold her in place. She froze under his touch but it didn't stop him from doing what he planned to do.

"Touko.. you look exquisite," was all the king said before placing his lips onto plump soft ones.

The kiss itself was chaste and sweet. Yet Touko felt her body heat rise to an almost unbearable degree, eyes close automatically and she clung to the king's shirt. N had similar feelings but he kept his eyes half lidded, watching the pleased expression on Touko's face, the red blush starting to stain her cheeks.

The kiss seemed to last longer than it usually is, and N pulled back first so he could watch Touko's expression better. She had kept her eyes closed for a while longer before slowly opening them, staring up at N with not disgust of hate but of pure curiosity. The look she gave him made the king's heart hammer in the chest and he was sure her heart was going the same pace as his.

"Where did you.. "

"The novel.. "

"Why did you.. "

"I wanted to try it.. in the book, the characters said that kissing the other made them feel more connected. I wanted to be more connected with you."

Touko couldn't believe what she heard. She couldn't even believe she wanted to kiss him again, to taste him better. Her mind was blank in a muddled haze. The smaller teen leaned forward, ready to kiss him again, and he was all for it, but the loud sound of a cellphone ringing made them spring apart in surprise.

"S-sorry! Just let me answer this one quickly." N apologized and flipped open his cell.

"It's rude to leave your phone on during a date," Touko mumbled quietly to herself but was thankful that someone called at that moment. She was able to think more clearly now and couldn't believe she almost kissed him on her own will.

"N here."

There was a long buzz on the other line and Touko settled for looking outside again instead of the king's face.

"What? Victini escaped?"

. . .

A/N: A BIG thanks to my Beta. I love you mucho.

So, Victini escaped. What do?


	8. Chapter 8

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Chapter Eight.

. . .

Touko snapped her head back to N, eyes wide, and the king stared back at her with the same expression, except more grim.

"Okay, it doesn't matter how. Just contact the other members and have them get back to base. Reshiram will take me back." N slammed his cell shut and opened the carriage door, even if they were at the top of the ride, just passing the half way point.

"Reshiram!" N called out into the night and seconds later, the large white dragon came flying by the Ferris wheel, trying its best not to flap its wings hard so the civilians of Nimbasa City doesn't get hurt.

Touko was ushered onto Reshiram's back before N got on after her. The large Pokemon instantly took off in the direction of Liberty Garden Tower, accelerating faster than when it flew them to Nimbasa City. Touko held on tightly for dear life, ignoring the irritated growls sent her way. N flipped open his cellphone again and speed dialed Anthea.

"Listen, my dad can not find Touko and myself together. Have Concordia distract him from the window, from there you'll take Touko to her room while I enter through the front door, understood? Okay, good." He hung up and looked ahead.

Within minutes, the Liberty Garden tower was within view and Touko can finally see how huge it is, even though it was a little hard with the darkness gaining in. N started to whip his gaze around, looking for any signs of Victini moving about but saw none.

"There's no way Victini could get pass the waters, it could faint.. Unless a wild flying Pokemon offers help," the young king mumbled to himself before his gaze pierced down at the back of Touko's head. "Are you worried?"

"Yes, and no," she answered truthfully. "I'm glad that Victini is finally free, yet I am sad that I might not seem him again." _'If my plan doesn't work.'_

N said nothing until they reached the window, finding Anthea waiting on the other side. The older woman helped Touko get through the window before giving a bow to her master.

"Anthea, take this," The young king tossed the goddess his pokeball. "Get Zoroark back for me."

"Yes, master N."

Anthea rushed Touko into the room and swiftly walked over to the glass cage.

"Zoroark, return." The sleeping Pokemon returned without a sound and Anthea pocketed the ball. "Miss Touko, please change so that no one walks in and sees you wearing the dress."

"Oh, right," Touko murmured, going over into her room, took a clean pair of shirt and shorts before heading over to the bathroom. She made sure to fold the dress up neatly before handing it over to Anthea.

"Please act normal, or try and sleep, as to not raise suspicion." Was all the goddess said before tucking the dress under her arm and briskly leaving the room.

Touko nervously paced the room for a couple minutes, too nervous and pumped with adrenaline to simply sit down and laze. Her thoughts raced about what was happening, what_ could _happen.

_'My Victini escaped.' _Laughter began to bubble up inside Touko but so was a sob, yet she held back. She chanced a looked outside, just in time to see Reshiram fly off.

An attempt to steady her beating heart, Touko pressed the intercom button.

"Hoshi?"

_"Hello, Touko."_

She breathed a sigh of relief when he responded.

"How was your evening?"

_"Pretty calm. Until your Victini found a way to escape." _He sounded amused.

"I'm glad."

_"I had a feeling you would be."_

Touko bit her lip for a second before asking, "You working alone?"

_"I am. Why?"_

"Then that must mean you saw Victini escaping."

_".. "_

"You must have saw Victini trying to find a way to escape. Yet you didn't do anything to stop him. Why?"

_"I agreed to help you escape. And if helping Victini escape will help you later on, then let it be."_

"Thank you. Even if it doesn't help, Victini deserves to be free. But won't this upset Ghetsis? Don't you look up to him?"

_"I do.. yet I can't help but dislike him a little for treating you and king N the way he does."_ Hoshi's tone was sad with a strong tint of bitterness but he covered it up with a cough. _"I suggest you get rest. Tomorrow might be a bit rocky for you if Ghetsis plans to visit."_

"Urk," Touko groaned and sighed. "I suppose I should. Thanks for everything, Hoshi. Good night."

_"Good night, Touko."_

The intercom went dead and Touko sighed again before sliding under the covers, curling into a fetal position before letting her eyes close shut. Let the nightmares begin.

. . .

N jumped off Reshiram the moment the legendary Pokemon touched the ground. It cried out before taking off again. N watched it fly away, mesmerized for a moment before giving his head a quick shake.

After inhaling deeply, N took a few long strides before entering Liberty Garden Tower, finding himself in complete chaos once again, but for a whole different reason.

Plasma members bowed sloppily when passing by but didn't stop to see if there was any orders to be taken. They were already been given some. The person who had given the orders were at the other side of the room, barking out more orders to groups of grunts standing around nervously.

When N got closer, he saw it was his father, Ghetsis, giving the orders.

The Sage immediately spotted the young king and stormed on over to him, his expression filled with dark rage.

"Where the hell have you been, boy? Did you know that half of the plasma members that were on duty are gone?"

And just in that moment, the other half stumbled in through the tower doors, looking around with dazed, tired looks.

"I went to the amusement park because I wanted to take a little break tonight. I had some of the members accompany me just in case there were surprise attacks."

N's head snapped to the side with a loud crack that echoed throughout the whole room, stopping everyone in their tracks. Hesitantly, the teen raised a shaky hand to his swelling cheek before looking at his father with wide eyes.

"Grow up! You're a king, so start acting like one! There's no time for child's play!" The Sage fumed angrily and began to pace back and forth, shouting at the grunts to get back to work. "Because half of the Plasma members went out for your selfishness, we've lost a valuable Pokemon!

"Sage Ghetsis, perhaps it's fate that Victini was never meant to be captured. Maybe he's meant to be free, like the way I want Pokemon to be."

"Foolish boy! Send out five troops of ten to cover Unova and search for that blasted Pokemon! The court has voted this in my favor and you'll abide by the vow."

"Yes, Sage Ghetsis." N bit the inside of his cheek to subdue from saying anything else that could earn him another slap.

Even though N was king, the Sage's were the court and they go through a voting system for important things. Those in favor of do's and dont's. Rare and legendary Pokemon fit in that category and N have no say in the matter.

"Plasma member Sophie, please gather five groups of ten and have them stand in their formal groups outside within ten minutes. Go." The king ordered to the nearby grunt, who looked astonished at the short amount of time she had to gather the deranged Plasma members.

N was about to head for the elevator but a hand clasped painfully tight onto his shoulder. He already knew who it was before turning around.

"Father."

"Why are you heading up? There's no need. You're already dressed and ready to lead your men all over Unova."

"What? I'm going with them?" This bit of information caused the king to grimace.

"Of course. As punishment for acting on selfish impulses. Let it be a lesson learned, so you'll think twice before endangering our headquarters again."

"Understood, Sage Ghetsis."

"Good. Now, best be on your way. Don't want to keep your own men waiting." Ghetsis sneered distastefully before moving past his son and into the elevator, escaping the madness on the main floor.

N sighed and hoped Touko will be fine while he was gone. He felt bad not being able to see her before being sent off.

. . .

Seven days. A full week has passed since Touko had seen N that night they went out on a _date_. Touko hadn't been that worried, since most of her thoughts kept being occupied by the kiss she shared with the king. Her face would turn tomato red when the scene replayed in her head.

When Touko pressed the intercom that morning, ready to ask Hoshi if N was around, she did not expect to hear Anthea's voice instead.

_"Good morning, Miss Touko."_

"Oh, uhm, morning.. "

_"Is there anything you require?"_

"Books?"

_".. "_

"Nothing erotic, please."

_"Very well. I'll be there in a moment."_

The line went dead and Touko started to make her bed, killing time until the older woman came with new books for her to read.

When Anthea entered, she was carrying many thin magazines, placing them on the ground beside Touko's bed. The teen glanced down at the top magazine in curiosity.

"PokeMonster comics?"

"Yes. Concordia buys the weekly issue. She's absolutely in love with the main character, even if it is a ten year old boy," Anthea laughed fondly at the other goddesses' expense.

"Sweet Concordia is actually a comic collector and hard-ass Anthea is a closet pervert," Touko mumbled loud enough for the older woman to hear. Anthea sniffed and jerked her chin up.

"If you don't want the comics, hand them over."

"No!"

"Hmfp," Anthea gave a small, smug smiled before looking at the Castelia City in the distance. "Master N has been happier and cheerful, lately. More carefree, always having some sort of smile on his face since that night you two went to the amusement park. His work has been going more smoothly than ever and I'd like to.. thank you for that. So, thank you very much, Miss Touko, for helping Master N complete his work successfully."

Touko stared at the other woman, shocked about everything. N being happier because of the date and that she even got thanked.

"I never knew I would have such an impact on his life," Touko mumbled truthfully.

"Neither did I," Anthea confessed.

"Where is N?" The teen finally asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"He's being punished." Touko suddenly felt a sense of dread.

"What's the punishment?"

"The punishment is that Master N can't see you for two weeks. So he's been relocated to a different floor so he can continue his work for the time being."

".. That isn't much of a punishment."

"It may not seem like much to you, but it saddens N to be away from you for such a long period of time, but he is looking forward to seeing you in one more week. He can't keep quiet when Concordia or myself come to check up on him, always babbling on how excited he is to see you again." Anthea's eyes shined with mirth before shaking her head. "Enjoy the comics. I'll be back in a few hours with your lunch."

. . .

N walked down a deserted hallway with a certain swagger, his mood too good to be ruined by any stares that he could have received if someone saw him this way. He almost wanted to hum a random happy tune but kept himself in check, he didn't want anyone to question exactly why he was happy.

Concordia stepped out of the elevator and saw her Master walking down towards her. She bowed respectively and waited for him to pass so she can be on her way but was startled when he stopped in front of her.

"Master N, how are you this afternoon?"

"I'm good, extremely happy." He gave a boyish smile, causing the older woman to automatically smile back. "And I need to speak with you."

"Okay." She waited.

".. Privately."

"Oh!" She mentally scolded herself for being featherbrained and brought the young king to her sleeping quarter's just down the hall, making sure no one saw them before closing the door quietly, "Please, make yourself comfortable."

"Thanks," N walked over to a large dark blue plush chair, sitting down before going into a slouch.

"Now, now, Master N. Slouching is bad for your back."

"I know, but it just doesn't seem to matter right now."

"Hm?" This concerned Concordia.

"I kissed Touko, while we were on the Ferris Wheel," N confessed suddenly.

"Oh," Concordia was mildly shocked but gave the king a small nod. "I knew you would get your first kiss some point in your life. But you mustn't tell Sage Ghetsis, he wouldn't understand."

"Don't worry. I'll never tell father."

"What did you think about the kiss?"

"I think it's wonderful, I liked it a lot. It.. it makes me feel more connected to Touko than a hug." Concordia smiled. "I want to do more things with Touko." Now Concordia is worried.

"M- master N.. " The young king was too excited to stop and listen.

"I want to hold her hand all the time, kiss more and do 'intimate' stuff."

"Master N! Miss Touko only came to fill the void as a friend, you two are not suppose to go farther than that." But he still wasn't listening.

"I held Touko's face before kissing her. It felt smooth and soft, different from the feel of my face." Concordia frowned. "I want to continue touching her, find out if the rest of her body is as soft as her face."

"Master N, Sage Ghetsis would highly disapprove of this."

"Father doesn't have to know. Touko's body is definitely different than mine. I'm more hard, firm, while her's is supple and squishy." Concordia couldn't help but crack a smile at the last word.

"How would you know her body feels that way if you haven't touched it before?"

"I haven't felt the rest of her skin before," he corrected. "But on the way back here, she sat in front while I embraced her from behind so she wouldn't fall off Reshiram."

"I see," The older woman gazed amusingly at her master.

"Touko said that only boyfriend and girlfriend do intimate things."

"Miss Touko is correct."

"Does kissing count as intimate?"

"Yes."

"I want to continue doing 'intimate' things with Touko, so I can become her boyfriend."

"That's not really the best idea, and perhaps Miss Touko doesn't feel the same way."

"After I broke the kiss, she leaned in for another."

"Eh?" This surprised Concordia.

"How can I improve and ask Touko to be my girlfriend?" Concordia sighed, seeing no way out of this.

"All you can do is let things flow naturally."

N nodded eagerly, knowing it will be difficult to try to have a relationship with Touko since his father would strongly oppose for such a thing to happen. But the young king vowed to do his best to try and gain the boyfriend status with Touko. _'Besides, being a special friend is better than a regular friend!'_

. . .

Touko was browsing halfway through an updated fashion magazine she found in the large pile of PokeMonster magazines before hearing the office door open. The teen got a little excited and smiled, hoping to see N but instead was met with a much older image of the teen. The older man noticed the drop of her smile and sneered.

"Expecting my son?" Touko said nothing so he continued. "Bet you're happy Victini got away. Team Plasma is still searching for that little rodent."

It took much willpower for Touko to keep a straight face, fighting hard against the smile that dared to take place on her face once again, except with more triumph.

"Also, my son has been happy lately and I believe it's all because of you."

"No need to thank me, someone already did." Touko admitted smartly. Ghetsis snarled.

"Watch your tongue and think nothing of the friendship growing between you and my boy because it's all an act. If you keep slacking, as in trying to actually create some sort of bond between you two, I'm going to have to send you off to Mayor Biggie, who's been asking about your behavior lately."

Touko suddenly paled at the mention of Mayor Biggie and Ghetsis gave a cruel smile.

"Mayor biggie excels into whipping people into excellent shape. Like some of our Plasma members, for example. They slacked around so they were sent off to the Mayor's home and when they came back, it was as if they were different people. They did their work, became well mannered, never slacked, did as they were told."

Touko felt horrid and tried to fight the chill that ran down her spine, automatically making her shudder.

"So listen up,_ sweetie_. If you're not careful, I'll send you off to Mayor Biggie's house to get things straightened out. And as a fair warning, the Mayor can get a bit.. sexual with his teachings." The teen looked away, face pale and shoulders shaking. Ghetsis chuckled. "Remember your goal."

And with that, he left the room for Touko to think alone.

. . .

A/N: It's short. I'm not sorry. I'm having a bad week. My dog died, won't let me respond to the last 13 reviews because there's some stupid error. I'm stressed and can't think right now, so there probably won't be a new chapter next week.


	9. Chapter 9

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Chapter Nine.

. . .

One week later, N was inside Touko's cell, kissing the smaller teen with chaste. The moment he was allowed to see her again, he quickly made his way to his original office and found Touko standing by the window, looking out at the waters. She had been surprised by his entrance but N gave no time for her to recover, and began kissing the surprised teen instead.

N first gave butterfly kisses on Touko's forehead, moving down to her nose, cheeks, corner of the mouth and finally right where he wanted them. It never went any farther than that, just lips pressing against lips. The young king's arms snaked around the petite teen, pulling her closer to him. She tensed a little and settled for placing her arms on his shoulders.

After a moment, N pulled back, looking down at Touko with a brightened look while she gazed back up at him, slightly dazed.

"Well.. that was a surprise."

"Do you mind?"

"If you kiss or hug me? Not much," she admitted with a twinge of pink to her cheeks.

N smiled widely, before hugging tighter and this time, Touko returned the hug properly. They stood in silence, enjoying the company of the other before N released her, stepping back.

"How have you been while I was gone?" He asked, curious.

"I was.. lonely. But Concordia's PokeMonster comics kept me entertained. Hoshi also stopped by a few times to play some card games." N frowned at that piece of information and Touko quickly changed the subject. "How have you been doing?"

"I'm doing well."

"That's good."

"I want to kiss more."

"S- shouldn't you be working instead?"

"But I want to connect with you more." He frowned. Touko felt embarrassed and possibly a bit too happy for her liking.

"Listen, after you got your work done, we can hug and hold hands."

"Fine," N sighed dramatically before walking over to his desk, his face pinching up at the amount of papers that got loaded on his desk.

Touko mentally screamed and scolded herself. _'This is what Ghetsis is trying to prevent but here I am, making it worse by giving into N's demands!'_

After a couple minutes of Touko disciplining herself, by sitting on the floor with her legs tucked under her, N spoke out of the blue.

"It's been almost two months since you came here."

"Really? I can't believe so much time went by."

"Do you miss your friends and family?"

"You have no idea," Touko barely whispered, causing N to strain just to hear what she said.

"I've had this idea for awhile and I wanted to know if you would like to write a letter to your family." Touko turned to look at him, forgetting her self-punishment and gaped.

"Are.. are you serious?"

"I am."

"What about my friends?"

"Don't worry. You'll be able to see them after we become good friends ourselves. We're getting along nicely."

Touko ignored the sadness stabbing within her chest, but gratefully accepted the pen and piece of paper N had handed to her.

"I'll be reading it before giving it to Reshiram to deliver it," N admitted, his voice sagged with regret. He really didn't want to invade her privacy but he had to make sure she didn't write a letter as a call for help.

Touko nodded, annoyed, although already suspecting as much and got to writing.

_"Hey, mom._

_How are you doing? I'm doing good._

_Are your soap operas keeping you company?_

_They, Team Plasma, is treating me good.. I'm sorry for not contacting you earlier, I've been busy lately, as you probably heard._

_Getting some educational reading around here is difficult(Half joking, mom)! I'll be home before you know it, just don't wait up, you need your beauty sleep._

_Me? Don't worry about my beauty sleep, I get enough. Oh, tell my friends I said 'Hi', and that I miss them dearly._

_Out here in the (scribble) sorry, can't tell my exact location. Don't worry about me, though, I'm doing fine. Going to keep this short, just wanted you to know I'm going to be alright._

_Love, Touko"_

The smaller teen kept the letter brief, wanting to send it out as soon as possible. She handed it over to the young king, who skimmed over it and nodded approvingly. He left the room and office for a couple of minutes, probably handing the letter off to Reshiram, then came back.

"Thanks," she said, offering a small smile.

"No problem," he smiled back, perhaps a little too deviously. "Can I get a hug or kiss in return?"

Touko openly gaped at him.

"Scheming little thief! A hug will be just fine." She huffed, but mirth danced in her cerulean eyes.

N ginned victoriously, swiftly walking back into the room and hugged Touko tightly, lightly nuzzling her neck. The smaller teen couldn't help but shiver in slight pleasure. It suddenly dawned on her that he didn't know his actions were stirring feelings within her.

Chuckling nervously, Touko pushed him back a bit to give her space. N frowned, confused by her rejection.

"Is something wrong? Are you okay?"

"It's nothing, I'm just not feeling well."

"Humm.. your face is looking quite flushed. Are you sick?"

"No, perhaps I just need some rest?"

"That sounds like a good idea."

Touko walked awkwardly to her bed, crawling under the covers and going into the fetal position, trying to resist from shivering; not from the chill in the room, but from the after effects over N's touch. She fell asleep within minutes, welcoming the slumber.

N walked back over to his desk, staring at his hands with a smile on his face. He liked how soft Touko felt through her clothes, wondering how much softer she would feel without them. She molded perfectly against the young king's frame and he let out a small excited laugh. He was glad he picked the right person to be his friend.

. . .

A gentle yet firm hand shook Touko out of her slumber and she blinked back the sleep from her eyes, adjusting to the lighting in the room. N came into her vision, wearing a small yet tight smile.

"What's up? How long was I asleep for?"

"Only a few hours. And you must be fairly popular because instead of one letter, you got back four." This piece of information brightened Touko's day and she quickly sat up.

"Are three of them from my friends?

"They are." The young king held them out for her to take.

"Thank you!" The smaller teen took the letters from his grasp.

N left the room, heading back to his desk to get some work done. Touko eagerly looked at the letters down in her lap, deciding to pluck the one up that said 'Mom' on the back, and started to read.

_'Touko,_

_I was worried sick when you didn't come home with Cheren and Belle! I nearly had a heart attack when they explained to me that you were taken hostage? To be somebody's friend?_

_Am I going to have to cook them meals as bribery just to see you?_

_Trying to get beauty sleep without you around here is difficult, and don't even suggest getting a Hypno in the house, or a Drowzee._

_My Herdier keeps me company just fine. But nothing can replace you._

_Best of wishes,_

_Love Mom.'_

"Oh mom," Touko exhaled with a shake of her head. "You know that Herdier is just some stupid stuffed animal I won in Nimbasa City last year.." N chuckled.

Touko knew he would be listening to her, so she had to watch what she said. Silently, the smaller teen folded the letter up neatly, placing it under her pillow before picking up the next one, which was from Belle.

_'Touko!_

_Keeping out of trouble has never been so hard! I've tried to take up baking but I'm a hopeless case, Cheren even says so!_

_In our household, nothing much has changed much. Dad still worries over me, but he's worried about you too. So is my mom. She makes sure to keep in contact with your mom a lot. Don't worry, we won't let her be worried!_

_Contact with you is going to be difficult, isn't it? Since the boys and myself didn't receiver a letter. The N guy is a real bully!_

_With everything going on, it is hard to adjust into a life without Pokemon._

_The boys are taking it hard. They are actually thinking about taking a trip, just see other places where Pokemon and people are allowed to be together. I wish I could go but they said that I'd cause a public disturbance. Whatever that means._

_Gyms in the country have turned into either tourist center, gallery or some type of show that's not related to Pokemon!_

_Leaders in Unova suck!_

_Signed by,_

_an angry Belle.'_

Touko couldn't help but snort, relieved that Belle had made it home safely. And she wouldn't have brought her on a trip either. Touko swore the moment Bella saw people and Pokemon together, she'd probably cry and ask to take a picture.

Next was Cheren's letter.

_'Touko,_

_Can't believe the mess you have gotten yourself into. You have no idea how worried we are, and your mother's letter doesn't express enough emotion in it! When she called us up, frantic that there was a huge ass legendary Pokemon outside her house, she cried over more that she finally got a letter from you after two months. TWO MONTHS!_

_You don't even know how broken she was when Belle and I had to tell her that you weren't going to be coming back for who knows how long. Belle's and my mom had to comfort her for days until her brain finally decided to shut that out. It made her believe that you went on a journey, far away from Unova. That letter only brought back those traumatizing memories._

_Hurry and do what you got to do, before your mom has another break down._

_Up, always look up. As your friends, we'll be here always. I miss you_

_Signed,_

_A pissed off Cheren'_

Touko frowned at Cheren's letter. He straight out scolded her on paper, but she knew it was his way of showing her cared. And the information about her mother shook her to the core. Touko's mom had always been a strong, independent woman in her eyes. After the teen's father declared that the married life isn't for him, that he really just wanted to travel the world, the older woman made herself strong, for her and her child's sake. Although, he still sent letters to the older woman, monthly, weekly if he could, she was still very much in love with him.

With a heavy sigh, Touko tucked Cheren's and Belle's letter under her pillow before picking up the last letter, almost afraid to read it.

_'Touko,_

_I hadn't heard about your capture until a month ago. I was out of Unova, and in the Kanto region. The local TV station there reported what was going on over here. I came over as quick as I could, but left my Pokemon with a friend in Kanto._

_I know it's the law now, that people and Pokemon aren't suppose to interact now here in Unova, but I was thinking of moving to Kanto. Or Johto. Both regions are beautiful, and I was wondering if you and your mother would want to move with me? Cheren and Belle were thinking about it too._

_Of course, you have to get out of there first. Think about it. Cheren and I are going to visit the Johto area, see the cost for houses and such. Not sure how long it will take, hopefully no more than a month._

_Take care, Touko. I miss you dearly, and I miss the battles I had with you._

_Signed,_

_A worried Touya._

_Ps. Cheren and I are having a bit of difficulties at cracking this puzzle!'_

Touko felt her heart speed up and she re-read the letter a couple more times before a wide smile was plastered on her face. Touya was blunt and straight to the point with nothing to hide. A disgruntled sound stopped her reeling thoughts, turning her cerulean gaze to the other teen.

N was frowning, finding the strength within him to stop his trembling bottom lip that very much wanted to pout. He watched Touko's expressions while she read the letters. The first one was obviously from her mother, the deep concern on her face making it known to him. The second was from her friend, Belle. The letter had been amusing. Third was from the guy with glasses, Cheren. The other teen's expression held a bit of hurt, annoyance but there was a tender look in her eyes.

And lastly, there was 'Touya', who, N must admit, he never seen around Touko before. He remembered her calling out the name when a Shadow Triad member was bringing her to him, but he brushed it off, assuming it was her father, or someone. But it appeared he held a closer part in Touko's life than Cheren did.

That didn't sit well with the young king, for he wanted to be the only one who was close to Touko. He could make sure all her needs were met, that she was never alone, only happy. But it was never going to happen if she had people like 'Touya' so close to her.

"You read my letters," Touko stated instead of questioning.

"Yes. It's a normal procedure. The letters Plasma members received are checked over as well. Just to make sure that there's no threat being made towards me. I read yours.. only 'cause I was curious. And because I was afraid your friends might try and tell you a way to break out."

"I see," she murmured.

"I'm sorry," he apologized weakly.

"It's okay," she whispered, not feeling angry towards him at all.

"But I don't really want you moving out of Unova once you're free."

"I beg your pardon?" She grit between her teeth. Now she was feeling the anger. The young king frowned at her anger.

"You wouldn't be able to visit me often if you moved out of Unova. You're my dear friend."

"I know that, but you can't control your friends. That's not how friendship works."

"I know.. but!" He huffed dramatically. "I don't want you to be far away. I want to be able to visit you, too. Daily, if possible."

"Daily? Wouldn't it be a bit extreme? With you being a King and all." She waved her hands animatedly, desperately looking for excuses.

"But that's exactly it. I am King, so I am to do as I please." Which wasn't exactly true, but N wasn't about to tell her that. "Besides, why wouldn't I want to see you? Don't you want to see me too?"

"Well, I'm sure I wouldn't mind, but.. "

"And we can go on more dates, aside from Nimbasa City, I could take you with me when I travel out of Unova." Touko felt flustered at the idea and gave a small shake of her head.

"You're being silly."

"It's the truth. But if you're serious about moving away, then I might be reluctant to let you go." The young king turned serious, his eyes filled with determination.

"Locking me up like a Pokemon isn't going to help in this situation!" Touko felt her anger starting to rise.

N stayed silent, staring at the other teen blankly.

"Yeah, keeping me here, you're doing exactly what trainers do with their Pokemon. The only difference is, that I am a human being. A person. If you believe that Pokemon should be put on the same level as people, then treat me with some respect."

N is horrified, struck with realization at how he's been handling the situation, how he's been handling his only friend.

"I.. I knew, in the back of my mind, that I've been treating you like as Pokemon, yet I refused to see it. I didn't want to see it. I wanted to believe this was all normal. I wanted to keep you with me at all times."

Touko looked at the young king in wonder. She had believed he thought this was normal, this whole time she had he was a complete nut case, when in reality he knew it wasn't normal, knew it was wrong. Perhaps he was a bit more normal than Touko thought and maybe, just maybe, he'll let her go now..

"Do you want to stay with me in my room?" N smiled charmingly, his attitude doing a complete three hundred and sixty.

Touko gaped at him.

"My bed is big enough to fit three Golurk's." He continued, acting as if everything was normal.

"That would be dangerous," Touko swallowed thickly.

"How so?" He asked innocently.

"You're father could object." She mumbled weakly. He frowned.

"My father has no part in this decision." Touko felt too mind-numbed to form a proper response. He continued, joyfully. "Think of it as advancing in our friendship."

_'This is advancing, all right,'_ Touko thought sarcastically. _'Half of me thinks this is complete madness! Sleeping in the same room with the enemy, who's like a friend who you have growing feelings for! Just tell him you're fine with staying in this room. But another part of me wants out of this bland room! And possibly sleep in a normal bed.. bed.. '_

"Where would I be sleeping?"

"In my bed, obviously." N looked at her, as if _she_ was the stupid one.

"W-w-wha!" Touko's mouth popped open and N just smiled, like this was the most natural thing in the world.

"Couldn't you just order a cot? A couch, maybe? I'd even be find on the floor."

"Don't talk such nonsense, this isn't a hotel. We'll sleep on the same bed. Plus, the couch isn't a comfortable place to sleep." Touko saw no way to reason with him and sighed.

"Fine, but we sleep on opposite sides."

"Okay! I can't wait for our night of hot passions."

After that single sentence, Touko refused to carry the conversation further and headed back into her room. _Ex-room_.

The teen had finished "Master Ball Her Heart" The day before and had nearly cried at the romantic yet cheesy ending. All in all, it turned out to be a good book, despite all the steamy scenes it had. Next, she picked up "Gotta Catch Him All", the title making her mentally cringe, before opening it and beginning to read.

The rest of the day was rather peaceful, except for the moments Touko would randomly snort whenever she thought of N's words._ 'Night of hot passions'_. She wondered if he was just playing around or actually serious.

Touko never bother asking how far into "Pika Her Chu" N got to, and she didn't know if it was worth knowing. If he actually ended up reading the whole thing, she was sure she was going to be horrified. Just the thought of any guys reading a romance novel to the end makes her want to question their 'manhood'.

A couple hours later, Touko had nearly put the book down four or five times. It was ten times more raunchy than the first novel. The author wasted no time getting the two main characters into bed together, or in public places. Literally, two chapters in and it was a fuck-fest between the two.

Touko hurriedly read the page and turned, reading the first few sentences before finally snapping the book closed, face flamed. The main guy character had started to bang the main female character once they entered an elevator. He then bet her that he would make her 'cum violently' before they reached their destined floor. She 'foolishly accepted, knowing she would lose' and he used his tips and tricks, bringing her over the edge in minutes. That was the stopping point for Touko and she was embarrassed to believe it turned her on a bit.

"Ready to go?" N's voice suddenly seemed loud to Touko and her instant action was to chuck the novel to the other side of the room. The king blinked. "Is that another book filled with lessons on how to get closer?"

N began to walk towards the evil novel and Touko paled.

_'There's elevator sex in there! There's an elevator in this building! He'll get ideas!' _Touko never thought she could be as fast as she was now. In a matter of seconds, she sprung off the floor and sprinted towards N and tackled him to the ground.

"Oof!" They fell to the floor in a heap with the smaller teen locking a death grip on the other's legs.

"I'm not finished that book! You can read it after I'm done!"_ 'I'll never finish it!'_

"Okay," The young king mumbled dazedly before wiggling a bit. "Can we get up now?"

"Oh. Sure." She released her death lock and stood up.

"I was going to bring you to my room to have dinner before we go to sleep."

This brightened Touko's mood instantly. She was feeling rather hunger and followed N out of the office and down the hall. They passed many doors and hallways but always kept straight until they reached a door at the end with huge double dark cherry oak doors. It took about two and a half minutes to walk there at a normal pace and the teen wondered what all the rooms were used for.

"Dinner should be waiting inside." N informed and opened the door, allowing Touko to enter first before going in himself.

Touko's mouth watered the moment she saw the food trays on the small round table in the corner of the room, the smell of boiled Chansey eggs accompanied by Miltank milkshakes.

"I hope you don't mind that it's not a huge meal." N said softly, suddenly embarrassed.

"What are you talking about? Chansey's eggs are one of the best and filling food out there, not to mention fattening." Touko then took that moment to look down at her frame. "Am I too skinny?"

"Concordia has mentioned that you seemed to be getting a bit thinner and that you haven't been eating everything off your meal tray." N frowned towards the smaller teen.

"Just haven't been in the mood to eat much lately."

"Well you're eating the whole Chansey egg and drinking the whole milkshake. Even if we have to sit at that table all night."

Touko childishly stuck her tongue out at him but sat down at the small dainty table and began to eat. N followed and they ate in silence, Touko stopped a couple times to groan about how heavenly the egg tasted.

After they finished, N handed Touko one of his long t-shirts to wear to bed. When she asked about shorts, he told her the t-shirt would cover enough. So she changed in the bathroom while he changed in his room. When she came out, her jaw dropped at his attire. Black silky fucking boxers.

"W-w-w-why?

"Why what?"

"Why only boxers?"

"Would you like me to take them off?"

"No!"

"Then what's the problem?"

"No shirt?"

"I always sleep naked. Wearing clothes while laying in bed makes me feel itchy. Concordia said it's probably best to cover up a bit so you don't have an 'epileptic seizure' when my bits suddenly flash you."

"God bless her soul," I muttered and dragged my feet over to the bed.

N was on the left side of the bed, sitting against the headboard with his legs stretched out under the blankets. Touko gave him a skeptical look before looking around.

"Where's my blanket."

"We share."

"N.. "

"What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine?" He gave a boyish grin and Touko sighed before walking to the right side of the bed, slowly lifting the covers, enough for her to slide into before laying down. "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"As long as you stay on your side, it's all good."

"Good night, Touko." N chuckled.

"Night," Touko mumbled back, feeling more relaxed and comfortable than when she had slept on the sorry excuse for a bed in the glass room. She was asleep within minutes of her head touching the plush pillow.

"Now that she's sleeping, I can catch up on reading 'Pika Her Chu'," N hummed, picking up the worn out book, opening up the page where his book mark rested, and started to read.

. . .

A/N: Wish me luck! I'm going 3 hours out of town to see an eye doctor because apparently there's something wrong with my right eye, which makes it ultra sensitive to sunlight so I tear up like hell and it's blurry, hurts, etc, so I might go blind in that eye, and it's sorta starting in the left as well. I highly doubt I'll go blind in both eyes but if I do, I'll learn brail so I could finish this story. C: ALL IN THE NAME OF LOVE!

Also, thanks to everyone who understood what I'm going through. I thank you very much for your support and love! (Hugs all around, but no homo, okay?)


	10. Chapter 10

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Chapter Ten

. . .

Touko never wanted to get up. She hadn't realized how stiff and sore her back was from the other bed until she slept in this luxurious one last night. It was better than her bed back home, and Belle had told her many times that her bed was 'sinfully comfortable'. But the accident prone teen was wrong.

_This_ bed is the one that's sinfully comfortable.

Touko snuggled into the warmth of it, aiming to nuzzle her head into those plush pillows but instead, her nose met muscled flesh.

_'Muscled flesh?'_

Blinking the sleep from her eyes rapidly, Touko's gaze was met with a well toned chest, smooth with a few random lime green hairs popping out. Her first thought was to panic and screech at the other teen, demanding to know what he thinks he's doing, sleeping right beside her without permission. But she stops the moment her eyes reaches his face.

N had a defenseless face while sleeping. No pinched eyebrows, no tension. She was mesmerized.

Touko took in the details of his face, the smoothness. Her heart speeding up by the sheer intensity of his beauty. She felt a little jealous of his looks, natural born beauty. And she nearly had a heart murmur when the young king opened a single eye, peering at her flushed face.

"Good morning," N closed his eye and smiled.

"Morning," Touko mumbled.

"A few minutes after you went to sleep, you decided to roll over and snuggle with me."

"W-what?" Touko looked appalled.

"And I was just too nice to push you away." The young king's arm was already wrapped around her shoulder and he tightened his hold.

Touko felt her face flame up again, clearly embarrassed, but N didn't seem to notice and used his free hand to run through her hair. They stayed like this for a couple moments longer, until Touko felt something poking into her stomach.

"N.. what is poking me?" Yet she had a pretty faint idea what exactly was poking her.

"S-sorry," N apologized and it was his turn to be embarrassed. "Concordia and Anthea told me that when my.. dick gets like this, it could cause problems. So I've been strongly advised to have cold showers, but if that doesn't work then I'm to just stroke until I come."

Touko swore that if she could, she would have foamed at the mouth the moment N said "dick". This innocent aura she always pictured him having didn't seem all that innocent anymore. She felt stupid for even thinking he was so innocent that he wouldn't even know what to do with his dick when it become all hard.. and stuff, much less jack off.

N is worried by her silence, and hurriedly assures her that it doesn't happen often.

"It's okay.. " Touko mumbles, still clearly shocked.

N, seeing as it wasn't a rejection, boldly pushed his erection into Touko's stomach and groans at the friction his silk boxers caused. The feeling was so intense, felt so much better then having it wilted down in the shower or by his own hands.

Touko stared, wide eyed, at his painfully blissful expression, half horrified, half entranced, and dare she say, some what aroused.

"Would you like to help me ease this little problem I have?" N smirked down at her, his eyes dancing with emotion.

Touko flushed and opened her mouth to respond but no words were formed. N laughed and moved away.

"The book you lent me is very resourceful."

_'I should have known,'_ Touko thought with a scowl.

"I didn't know women had parts that are pleasing to a man's touch, that they could give such great pleasure, greater then what I do by myself. The male in the book claims that his hand can't compare to 'Mariko's' vagina. I knew girls were different from guys, but so different that it changes men when they get intimate?"

Touko felt her body grow hot just by N talking about such things.

"The couple in my book always have 'sex' with each other, claiming that it brings them closer than ever, more then family and friends." N's eyes stared down at Touko with half lidded eyes, which were now sparkling with lust. "I want to have 'sex' with you, Touko. I want to be close."

"But.. but.. " Touko forgot how to breathe. "Your father," was all she could bring up as an excuse. If he shot it down now, the smaller teen knew her hormones would give in to temptation.

N frowned.

"My father?"

"He said it's bad. And I can't sass you."

"Bad? How is the 'greatest pleasure' bad?"

Touko wished she was back in the glass room, in the corner where she could cry in frustration.

"It's not necessarily bad. But it could be addicting and distract you from your work."

"Did you have sex with anyone?" His face darkened a bit at the knowledge of his friend possibly getting close with another.

"What? No! I read a lot of romance novels and they always describe the pleasure being addicting." Touko had no clue why she needed to defend herself here but she was afraid he might use the "If you already did it with another, then doing it with me should be fine" card.

"Hmm," N hummed and got up from the bed, stretching with his arms above his head.

Touko couldn't help but stare at N's lean back, watching the muscles ripple there as he moves. _'He's really in shape and has a good body.. '_

N had went to bed shirtless, so when he turned back to Touko, she got an eyeful of his front, again, but she didn't take time to appreciate because her eyes instantly dropped to the obvious bulge in his boxers.

"I'm going to shower," The young king declared loudly and Touko coughed nervously. He smiled deviously at her. "Unless you would like to join me?"

"I'm fine," She replied quickly and he laughed, heading over to his bathroom.

. . .

Touko and N were back in the office. She had wanted to stay, lazing around in the bed but the young king told her that she would be flanked with three or more Plasma members since there was no security cameras in his room.

Touko had reluctantly dragged herself out of the comfortable bed, promising it that she would return tonight. She took a quick shower and was happy to see a grey shirt and black shorts waiting for her on the counter.

In the office, Touko went straight to the glass room, pleased that the place was cleaned up and the bed was replaced with a maroon red couch, bookshelf and a flat screen TV.

N went straight to his desk while Touko tried not to skip too happily over to the couch, plopping down and turning on the TV; turning to a random channel. It was a kid's show. Innocent. People dressed up as Pokemon, running around doing silly things. She could handle this.

She could.

..

Touko slowly turned her head to the side, looking at N from the corner of her eye before it dropped to his legs. Possibly what's between his legs.

The door to the office suddenly slammed open, an angry Ghetsis barging in and his gaze whipping to Touko, fury clear within them. The smaller teen had whipped her head back to the TV so fast, she almost felt like she gave herself whiplash. The Sage then looked towards the young king.

"What is this?"

"What's wrong, father?"

"This!" He pointed to Touko. "There's rumors flying around this castle, faster than a.. a.. "

"Deoxys?" Touko added in a deadpanned tone. Ghetsis glared at her.

"And I have a feeling those rumors are far from a lie."

"But keeping her in there was the way people treat Pokemon."

"Then it's teaching her a lesson!"

"She's been in there long enough!"

"Then give her, her own room to sleep in! Or at least the room next to yours!"

"What's wrong with her sleeping in my room? We're just friends."

"Friends already? Great, kick her out!"

"I want to be best friends with Touko!"

"What's the difference?" Ghetsis growled out, getting tired of this pointless conversation.

"It's better then the 'friend' level!"

Ghetsis barked out a laugh.

"You're practically best friends now, with you allowing her to sleep in your room!"

"Well, what if I want to be Touko's bo-"

"Beeeee Touko's booster for whenever.. she's.. feeling.. down.. " _'Booster?' _Touko was mentally screaming at self for coming up with such a stupid answer but it was on short notice!

Ghetsis raises a single brow at her, clearly not amused.

"Best friends are good boosters," she added in weakly, her forced smile ready to crumble.

The Sage ignored her and turned his attention back to the king.

"I want her in here or in a different room before tonight."

"Touko staying in my room isn't harming anyone. I still get my work done."

"Fine," the older man growled out, knowing he wasn't going to win this round. "But if I hear any more nonsense involving her, I'm going to bring it up with the Sage council, declaring that the kings 'friend' is hindering his abilities and responsibilities to work as a rule."

N inhaled sharply and frowned up at his father but said nothing to anger the great Sage any further. Ghetsis sniffed at his son and turned to Touko, eyeing her with something beyond hate.

"You know, since it seems she's practically_ free _now, she could hang out with more Plasma members. So she won't get bored or lonely when you're busy at work and meetings."

"That's not a bad idea," N murmured, but wasn't exactly thrilled about Touko sharing friendship with anyone else here, other than him.

"Namely.. Hoshi." Ghetsis pressed.

Touko choked on air and N frowned deeply.

"Why Hoshi?" The you king demanded.

"He knows her better than any other Plasma member. Plus they seem like good friends, already."

N clenched his teeth together, a muscle working in his jaw as he felt annoyance and something else he couldn't describe.

Touko knew what Ghetsis was trying to do. Separate N and herself apart while pushing her to Hoshi, who will hopefully help her plan out on how to escape this place.

"I'll even take Touko to Hoshi. Right. This. Moment." He eyed the smaller teen, who swallowed loudly.

"I guess, I don't mind.. " she hesitantly agreed but automatically looked towards N.

N was holding back, his frame almost trembling with anger. He was wondering why his father was trying to get between Touko and himself. Sighing, he went back to work.

"Fine."

Touko was about to ask N what was wrong until Ghetsis was ushering her out of the room. She got up and made her way over, but apparently was too slow for the older mans liking, so by a single finger being pushed into the middle of her back, she was out faster than she would have liked. The smaller teen refrained from making any abnormal noises and left the room, the Sage hot on her heels.

Ghetsis then took the lead after the door was shut and took her down to hall until they reached a set of elevators. The two of them waited in silence for a couple minutes before there was a soft 'ding', signaling that the elevator had arrived to their floor.

Touko was reluctant to go into a enclosed space with someone with a demented personality but she had no other choice so she stepped into the elevator with Ghetsis behind her.

He stayed at a respectable distance and pushed a button at this side before the elevator started to descend down at a smooth yet fast pace.

"I would throttle you if there wasn't any cameras in here," he said while barely moving his lips when talking so whoever's on guard duty wouldn't figure out what he was saying.

"You act as if it was my idea," Touko grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well he wouldn't have moved you in if he didn't trust you enough. He's trusting too much. Make your escape soon, dammit." Ghetsis snarled, venom dripping from his words.

"I'm working on it." She bit out and he sneered down at her.

"Hoshi is in patrolling the fifty-third floor. Alone. Use that time to figure out a plan."

"Right," she mumbled. "How long will I be with him?"

"Probably until the end of the day, when N finishes his work, like a good King"

They said nothing more, even when the elevator came to a stop. Hoshi was there, waiting with a wary smile on his face. Ghetsis jabbed his finger into Touko's back once again, forcing her out of the elevator and jabbed the button to close the doors before going to a different floor.

"Rotten old man," Touko hissed at the elevator doors before turning to Hoshi, smiling lightly. "Hello."

"Hey," he returned the smile before gesturing down a hall. "Shall we walk?"

"Let's," she nodded and they starting walking at a relaxing pace.

Hoshi pointed out to pictures and sculptures, telling about their histories, how they were famous, exotic and why. Touko immediately became interested in the stories behind the mysterious paintings. Some of them had deep meaning behind them, others she couldn't just wrap her head around.

The teen was actually enjoying the stroll, nearly containing her excitement when Hoshi opened some doors to peer into them. According to the older man, most rooms were for the Plasma members to sleep in. Two or three per room. The Plasma members who lived in Castelia City preferred to go home at the end of their shift, while others believe it would be better to just stay for weeks at a time instead of travels back and forth to home.

"I never knew there was so many members," Touko confessed.

"We got more resumes to join after the kings speech," Hoshi admitted with a slight smile before sighing. "I never knew Ghetsis was so.. "

"Evil?"

"I suppose. Evil is a strong word, though. More like.. twisted."

"Twisted Evil. Sounds perfectly like him," Touko mused and chuckled when Hoshi lightly flicked her ear lobe.

"You're a little trouble maker."

"Well I'm not gonna be docile."

"That's good. If you were, it would be pretty boring around here."

The rest of the day continued with Hoshi showing Touko around, going through six more floors before he noticed that his shift was almost ending soon.

"It's almost eight, my shift will be ending. I just need to check out one more room and I'll return you to the king."

Touko rolled her eyes, not liking how he referred to her as a "pet", or something, but didn't respond. She followed him to big double metal doors, where Hoshi pulled keys from his pocket to unlock the doors and proceed to enter.

"A meeting room?" She questioned.

"Yes. There are various meeting rooms in the tower, this one has metal doors so only trivial matters are held here."

"So all matters range, depending on the.. door?"

"That is correct."

"So if metal is for only not so important stuff, what are the other doors?"

"Gold is for high priority, metal for trivial, bronze for stuff that rarely needs a full meeting to be looked into. Bullet and soundproof glass are for the Great Sages, though. Their meetings are higher than gold, and they relocate from floor to floor."

"Why is that?"

"They never post on a bulletin board when their meetings are. We've caught a few spies within our group, trying to wire bugs into the meetings, but the security has gotten tighter over the last few months. We use to be allowed to bring our uniform home, but now we had to turn them in before leaving. From there, they are checked for any bugs before cleaned."

"Wow," Touko breathed. "Going to such extent."

"Yeah. Pure dedication."

Hoshi walked around the room, checking behind the door, in the corners, under the long table and under the chairs. When he made sure everything was in place and safe, he gave a sign to the security camera in the corner. Touko flipped them off for good measure.

"Touko, Touko," Hoshi shook his head but there was a smile fighting to break out on his face.

"Yes?" She asked so innocently, the Plasma member couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, look, a radio."

Touko went over to the small red device and turned it on.

_'- World is shocked and restless after hearing about the decision in Unova to ban people from owned or catching Pokemon. Although the mayors can't do anything to sway the king of Unova of his decision, trainers are planning to go over to the estranged Pokemon country to try and talk to the king ago-'_

Hoshi quickly changed the channel, sending a wary look in Touko's direction.

"Sorry.. " She whispered.

"It's fine. Even though I'm suppose to be helping you escape, it still feels weird to betray the king like this."

There was an awkward silence between them before a catchy melody started to play.

"Isn't that.. the theme song for Black City? They actually play their themes on the radio?"

"Yes, they do. Would you like to listen to a different channel instead?"

"No, this station is fine. It's just when you've been to the places, they play their anthem all the time. In the morning, in the afternoon, at night time. Wherever you go, there'll be a radio playing their damned song." Touko chuckled mirthlessly, remembering she almost had to smash someone's radio because they wouldn't stop playing a song over and over again.

"I agree."

Touko started to dance a little, swinging her hips to match the catchy beat. Hoshi grinned and joined in, standing close but respecting her personal space. Touko raised a single brow at him but didn't stop dancing.

"If I didn't know you had a waiting wife, I'd think you were coming onto me, Mr. Hoshi."

"If I didn't have a waiting wife, I would have pounced on you the moment the chance presented itself."

Touko barked out a laugh.

"You sure are a ladies man. You know what we wanna hear."

"Of course! I use to be a well known player in my hometown, wooing all the lovely ladies at the bar, before moving to the city to become a business man."

"_Wooing_," Touko couldn't help but snort at the word.

"Yes. _Wooing_. The is until I met my wife, Seira." Hoshi pulled out a picture and handed it to Touko.

Touko expected to see the most beautiful person ever, the way Hoshi talked about her before, but the woman she saw had curly black hair and brown eyes, heart shaped face, small heart shape lips and a nose that seemed a bit too big for her face. All in all, she was plain looking. But the look Hoshi got when gazing at the picture told the teen the whole thing: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

"She's pretty," Touko comments and Hoshi snorted.

"She's _beautiful_, I love her," he murmured, taking one more glance at the picture before pocketing it.

"Do you see her often?"

"Around two, to three times a month"

"Why so little?"

"The more I work, the more money I get. I promised her I would take time off work two months before the baby is born. I want to have as much money to support her and our child as possible.

"That's sweet" I murmured.

"Sweet," He scoffed, "She's a hellion. Every time I come home, she interrogates me, asking if I had an affair with another woman at work."

"Really? Is she jealous?"

"Yes. And possessive."

"I would be jealous too," Touko mumbled and grinned teasingly at him. "You're not bad looking."

Hoshi laughs, amused.

"Not bad looking, huh? I bet I can't compare to the king," Touko felt her face flare up.

"H-he's not bad looking either."

"He also has jealousy issues."

"You noticed?" she asked, deadpanned.

"I do have security duty sometimes. And the display he showed when we were just playing cards." He shakes his head "Unpredictable. He needs to learn to share."

"Why, Hoshi, how would you think your wife would react if I asked her to share you."

"Do you want to share with her, Touko?" Hoshi's eyes glitter with playfulness.

Touko laughed.

"I swear, if I had met you before any of this happen, I would probably swoon under all that smooth talk."

"But now you've wised up." She nodded. "That's good. You're more aware."

"I'm glad too. Or else I might had wilted to a night of hot passions." Touko muttered, starting to hate the phrase.

They continued to dance, listening to the different tunes on the radio until a door slammed open the second time that day, causing Touko to jerk forward and clutch onto Hoshi's uniform. Turning her head to the side, Touko spotted N in the door way, his eyes not exactly sending friendly vibes when landing on the older male.

Hoshi instantly stood straight, frozen and saluted his king. Touko released his uniform and turned around, smiling warily at N.

"Hey, N. Done work?"

"Hn. At ease, Grunt." Hoshi flinched at the degrading term and lowered his hand but kept tense. "I believe your shift ended twenty minutes ago. You may leave."

"Yes. Thank you, King N." Hoshi headed towards the door, bowed before the younger male and left the room.

"N.. " Touko's voice held a warning but the moment her friend left the room, the young king's face brightened in her direction.

"I was waiting for you to come up." N murmured, walking straight over to the other teen. "I was beginning to worry about.. "

"About.. ?"

"If you and Hoshi were having sex."

"I should ignore you for the rest of my life."

"But you two are close!"

"We are, but not in that sense! N, Hoshi has a wife at home, he has someone to have sex with and it sure as hell ain't me."

"But.. " He bit his lip. "A 'wife' is a higher upgrade then 'girlfriend', right?"

"Yep."

"Touko.. "

"No.. "

N huffed and glanced at the radio before frowning.

"You were clinging to him."

"Only because you scared me half to death when slamming the door open. Ever thought the door has feelings?"

"What were you doing before?"

"Just dancing."

"Dancing?"

"Uh-huh. Have you danced before?"

".. "

".. Do you know what dancing even is?"

"Of course I do," He replied hotly. "I've seen it in movies."

"Okay, let's dance a bit." The petite teen didn't want to return to the bedroom just yet.

Touko started to sway her hips once again and N started to shift from foot to foot, nervous. The smaller teen sighed. The radio was already half way through the slow song playing, so she grabbed one of N's hands and placed them on her hips while wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Now, just follow my lead, look down at your feet if you have to. Normally it's the guy leading but I guess I'll have to teach you." He nodded eagerly, tightening his hold on her hips.

Touko started off slow, going from side to side before leading him around the room in slow circles. N stepped on her feet a couple times, making her wince but she assured him that it was fine and they continued.

After ten minutes, N finally got the hang of it and started to lead Touko this time, even if the slow song ended some time ago and the radio was now playing a fast beat tune. The smaller teen actually enjoyed being lead around the room, hating to admit to herself that she enjoyed it even more when she felt the kings thumbs rub tantalizing circles on her hips with his thumbs.

N pulled her closer, liking the closeness. She smelled like his shampoo and soap, which she was forced to use, since neither wanted to collect her girly smelling stuff from the bathroom at the office. The king was torn between which smell he liked better on her. With her fruity smell, it screamed _"Taste me!"_ but with his, it screamed _"N's best friend, don't touch!"._

Touko sighed contently and leaned her head against the broad chest, smiling when she heard N's heart beat race ahead with that single action. She didn't think he would catch onto dancing so fast. _'Must be a hidden talent,'_. The smaller teen tried not to giggle at the thought. It was almost too cute.

A song with a bit of a faster pace came on, causing N to speed up his steps. Touko nearly stumbled a couple times, her face flushing when N laughed.

"Why are you going so fast?"

"Because it's fun?" He gave her a cheeky grin and her lips twitched.

"Alright, wise guy."

Touko held on tight and began to use her weight to help them spin. Now it was N's turn to stumble. She let out excited laugh, her eyes dancing with mirth. The young king stared for a moment, mesmerized, until his back slammed against something solid.

"Ugh!" N grunted, his face scrunching up in pain.

"Are you okay?" Touko leaned back to look up at his face, worried written all over her face.

"Yeah. You just don't know your own strength," he teased, causing the smaller teen to let out a sigh of relief.

"Should we head back to your room now?"

"_Our_ room," he corrected.

"Fine. _Our_ room."

"Not yet, I want to stay like this for awhile longer."

N wrapped his arms more securely around Touko, hugging her closer so that his chin rested on the top of her head.

_'Selfish, but cute,'_ Touko thought and kept her arms loosely wrapped around N's neck. She continued to listen to his erratic heartbeat and was about to jokingly ask the king if he was going into cardiac arrest but felt something poking her stomach. For the second time that day.

Touko then thought she might be the one to go into cardiac arrest.

"N.. " She whispered, unsure of what else to say. _''Hey, tell your pants it's not polite to point' doesn't exactly seem possible at this moment. Or I could pull back and say 'Hey, wanna see my Metapod use harden too?' isn't thrilling either,'_ she mused.

"Touko.. " The young king breathed huskily. "S-sorry.. you can leave first, if you want."

Touko looked up into N's face, watching him squint back down at her, brows furrowed, cheeks flushed and mouth slightly apart. She nervously licked her bottom lip and stood her ground, not really knowing what has gotten into her. _'I wanna watch his expression some more.. I wanna see him.. '_

Experimentally, Touko shifted her hips, which were snug against N's. The young king gasp, the air coming as a hiss through clenched teeth. His arms constricted around her, causing the smaller teen to almost lose her breath.

Touko felt her body growing hotter by the moment, her cheeks flushing under the heavy pants coming from N. Now, more boldly, she began to rotate her hips painfully slow, bringing them around fast then dragging slowly when brushing against the young king.

Touko watched his face, fascinated that she could bring out such emotion and sounds from N. It felt so exhilarating and fresh. She felt_ power_. Goosebumps covered her skin at the thought of being in control for the first time since she came here. It was too intoxicating to be real.

"Touko," N half whined, half breathed, cracking his eyes open to stare down at the smaller teen, wondering why she suddenly stop.

"Oops," She thrust forward, earning herself a small cry from the young king. The sound ran straight down to her nether regions, making her slick.

N started to thrust back, though the movements were jerky and rough, he couldn't stop panting, groaning. The sensations were so much better than when he was by himself in the shower. Having someone else, having his friend, bring him such feelings made his blood boil with lust. It was too good.

This continued on for a couple minutes more until N started to move faster, his hands reaching up to grip onto the smaller teen's shoulders, feeling himself on the edge of losing control.

"N.. " Touko cried out softly, part curiosity, part fear and part need.

After hearing her call out his name in such a sensual way, N felt himself unravel, being caught into the winds of pleasure. He shivered and convulsed, hips now moving in broken thrusts before crying out with his release.

Touko's eyes widened as she watched sheer rapture contort N's face, his eyes clenched shut, mouth wide open in a silent scream, back arching with his head thrown back, showing off the creamy pale neck.

The two teens stood there for long moments, panting for air. N was still gripping into Touko's shoulders hard and didn't let go until she whimpered. Without saying a word, he grabbed her hand and walked out of the room, heading back to the elevator.

The whole way back to the kings room was silent between the two, unnerving Touko beyond comfort. Although her shoulders were feeling better, the hand N held was starting to hurt but she said nothing.

Once they reached the room N went straight to the bed, not changing out of his business clothes, or spoiled pants, and crawled under the blankets. Touko stood there, surprised. She worried her bottom lip for a second before grabbing the long t-shirt she used yesterday, headed to the bathroom and changed.

When Touko came back out, N was in the same position and she figured he was just exhausted beyond belief and didn't care to change out of his clothes. She climbed into her side of the bed, her back facing N.

The young teen still felt her blood pumping with adrenaline, felt that every pore in her body was alive with electricity. It was difficult to come off the high but she did it after an hour of rolling around and finding a comfortable spot lying on her back. But there was one shocked thought lingering in her mind.

_'I dominated the King.. '_

. . .

A/N: Thank you everyone for your concern! The eye professional only told me what I was told the week before so I have to go back in the next one or two weeks. Lame.

Oh ho ho, hope everyone enjoyed chapter 10! Things are starting to move on!


	11. Chapter 11

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Chapter Eleven

. . .

Three weeks flew by painfully slow for Touko. And she was going to go ballistic.

After the event in the meeting room, N had barely talked to Touko. He says the "Hi", "Good morning", "Bye", and "Good night" when appropriate, but other than that, he doesn't say so much as a peep.

The young king also refuses to look at the small teen, avoiding her searching gaze at all costs. When he wakes up and sees her watching him with wide curious eyes, he panics and rolls out of the bed, scrambling towards the bathroom.

Touko remembers falling asleep with N in the bed but sometimes when she woke up in the middle of the night, she would see N sleeping on the small couch in his room. It was a small, two seater couch and he looked uncomfortable scrunched up on it. But he would sleep there.

Touko's face would pinch up in hurt, confusion and annoyance.

After a week of the silent treatment, Touko decided to babble on about anything and everything, including Hoshi. She gushed non-stop about how good looking he was, the way he smiled, the way his body moved when they danced. She told him she was tempted to kiss the plasma member, because his lips simple looked kissable.

The most reaction N gave was a flinch, a dark look hovering in his eyes yet he continued with offering Touko nothing but silence.

The third week she tried it again and this time, there was no reaction from the young king. Touko felt herself getting angry for being ignored and she didn't even know why she was being ignored in the first place!

Stalking swiftly over to N's desk, Touko jabbed the button for the intercom.

"Can Anthea or Concordia come down here and escort me to where Hoshi is, _please_." She bit out hotly, pleased momentarily when N's eyes widened but only he continued to work.

Touko was glad Concordia showed up soon after her request went out. The older woman had glanced between the two teens nervously, fiddling with her fingers.

"Ms. Touko, is everything alright?"

"Oh, yes, Concordia. Everything is just dandy. We're just playing a game called 'Ignore Touko until she snaps'. Well it looks like N won, be cause I feel very much snapped as a snapper can get!" The petite teen was huffing by the end of her rant, hands closed into a fist.

"Master N?" Concordia slid her questioning gaze on her king.

"Good morning, Concordia. How are you?"

"F-fine, thank you." The older women blinked in surprised and looked back over at Touko, who stood by the door, arms crossed. "I'll be taking Ms. Touko to Hoshi now.. ?"

When the king said or did nothing, Concordia slowly backed away and allowed Touko to go through the door first before bowing to N and leaving the room.

The walk to the elevators was silent, except for Touko purposely, and childishly, stomping on the ground. Concordia said nothing, sneaking humorous yet slightly accusing glances in her direction. The older woman wanted to question her thoughts, but thought it was more polite to stay out of both of the teens business. She had a feeling it was personal and not work related, so there was no reason to interfere.

Touko never bothered asking Concordia about N before they reached the floor Hoshi was on. The petite teen knew that Concordia was one of N's mother figures and loyal Plasma Goddess, so she would definitely report back to N if she ever decided to ask about him.

Concordia walked at a much too slow pace for Touko's liking, but within moments they arrived in front of a plain white door. The older woman gave three dainty knocks and waited patiently for the door to open. Touko, on the other hand, tapped her foot, still feeling annoyance crawling over her skin.

"Yes?" Hoshi answered after opening the door and his eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, Goddess Concordia, Touko. Would you two like to come in?"

"Mr. Hoshi," Concordia greeted with a natural smile before waving a dismissive hand. "I wish I could stay and talk, but I have much work to do. I've been requested to drop Ms. Touko off to you."

"Really? Alright, then." He opened the door wide, allowing Touko to walk inside. "When is she suppose to get ready for pick up?"

"When N is done with work for the day."

"Of course. Have a lovely morning, Goddess Concordia."

"And may you have a.. entertaining one." Concordia's lips twitched, fighting the smile that threatened to take place. She gave a small nod of the head and walked away.

After Hoshi closed the door behind him, he turned around to find Touko sitting on his bed, hunching forward, elbows on knees, hands cupping her face and her lower lip jutting out into a pout.

"Now, now, why are you sulking?"

"I'm _not_."

"_Of course not_."

Touko sighed heavily and gave a small shake of her head.

"What is N's problem anyways?

"N?" Hoshi blinked, not really surprised her mood was foul because of the king.

"He ignored me for three weeks. THREE!"

"Wow," He breathed out in amazement and sat down beside the other. "Plasma members rarely know the personal matters revolving around the King and his family. And friend. Gossiping isn't allowed that much, if it's negative. Like when the rumor of you moving into the king's bedroom sparked, Sage Ghetsis was in such a rage, everyone never peeped about it again."

"Well I'm about to drop off into insanity. I don't know what I even did wrong. I talked endlessly about you for days and he'd barely bat an eyelash."

"Wow, this is serious, considering he 's the jealous type. When did you notice he start ignoring you."

"The morning after you and I danced in that room."

"Could that be the reason why he's ignoring you?"

"No, it couldn't be. He was happy once I mentioned there was someone else in your life. After that, we started to dance, and then.. "

"And then.. ?"

"And then we.. " Touko felt her face flame up, mouth snapping shut and staring wide eyed at Hoshi.

"What happened?"

"I.. kind of.. sort of.. mostly.. dominated the King.. "

"You.. him.. what?"

"Well I just rocked against him, something along those lines, and I.. yeah."

Hoshi stared at Touko with a blank face for a nanosecond before breaking out into booming laughter. The petite teen didn't think her face could get any hotter than it was at this moment. The older man continued to laugh until his sides began to hurt.

"Okay, it's not funny!" Touko snapped half heartily, a small smile on her face.

"S-sorry, it's just a little hard to imagine," he snickered.

"I don't even know why you would want to imagine it in the first place."

Hoshi barked out a couple more laughs before Touko smacked his shoulder playfully.

"Okay, har har, it's funny. Now, can you please help me think of something?"

"Fine, fine." Hoshi inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, finally calming himself down. "N's birthday is coming up soon. From what I've heard and know, he's never had a birthday party before, due to lack of friends."

"Oh! Are you saying we should throw him a party so he can open up?"

"Yes. And you'll be the only guest."

"What, why?"

"It'll mean more to him if you're there and not a bunch of Plasma members."

"That's true," Touko mumbled. "But you'll have to talk it over with Anthea and Concordia because we'll need the decorations, food, everything."

"Right," Hoshi nodded. "Let's just hope it works."

. . . One Week Later . . .

N wrote leisurely on the twelve page document he's suppose to finish by the end of the week. He was currently on the eighth page and it was proving to be a huge pain in his butt.

But the young king never complained, always welcoming work to keep his mind off things. To keep his mind off Touko. Lately, she had been spending time with the Plasma member, Hoshi. It bothered the young man greatly that his only friend was spending so much time with another, especially when the other was an older, good looking male.

N bit the inside of his cheek, trying to focus back on work. All week he has watched Touko leave with Concordia or Anthea, going to the other male. When she came back to his room at night, she was glowing with excitement, a smile threatening to break her face in half, eyes dancing with delight. There was a bounce in her every step, a walk of confidence, body moving with fluid movement.

If the king had to guess, it was because of the time she was spending with Hoshi that was putting her into such a good mood. He felt something twist in his gut, his heart thudding painfully in his chest.

In 'Pika Her Chu', the main guy, Darrien, had this emotion called 'jealousy' when his girlfriend, Mariko, would talk to other guys. Mariko had confronted Darrien and told him that being 'jealous' was an ugly emotion.

If N had to guess, he was feeling jealous that Hoshi was making his friend more happy than he had this past month. That caused the young king to bite his cheek a little harder, tasting the coppery flavor of blood run along his tongue.

"Master N, please report to the Gold meeting room on floor seventy-three." Anthea buzzed on the intercom.

The young king furrowed his brows and frowned. It was the end of the day for work and he hasn't been told before hand about a meeting. A clumsy mistake on the Plasma members half.

With a tired sigh, N began putting his papers away in the cabinets, locking them up before heading out and walking towards the elevator. He suspected that Concordia took Touko back up to their room because of the meeting, hence why he didn't see her waiting at the office.

N had ordered the two Goddesses to bring the petite teen by his office when he was done work, so they could walk to their rooms together. It was the only time he could spend with her before going to sleep, waking up, walking to the office and watch her leave to another.

After arriving on floor seventy-three, the young king took his time walking to the Gold meeting room, believing that if it was really important he would have been called down earlier for preparations. He couldn't wait to get the meeting over and done with, honestly not caring how important the matter is. All he wanted to do was go back to his room and watch Touko fall asleep before slinking off to the couch for another poor nights rest.

Finally arriving in front of double gold doors, N pushed it open, taking on step in and stopping, surprised.

The whole room was filled with balloons, ranging from a vary of different colours, yellow and green decorations hanging from the walls and ceiling. The long meeting table had a light blue cloth at the end with a large chocolate cake sitting upon it, along with two cups, a bottle of Pecha berry Fizz. and two plates.

"Happy birthday!" Touko popped out from behind the door, blowing a small horn, thus almost scaring N half to death.

"T-Touko!" His eyes widened at the grinning teen in front of him.

"Come in, come in," she urged him in, shutting the door behind him.

N walked in robotically, his limbs stiff after Touko laid a hand on the middle of his back and pushed him further inside the room.

"What's going on?" He asked after turning around to face his nightmare.

"Well, it's your birthday, isn't it? I thought we'd have a personal birthday party."

N Felt himself tears up and blinked rapidly to keep them from spilling over. Touko just smiled softly and gestured to a seat at one side of the table.

"Have a seat."

After doing so, N watched Touko cut a big slice of cake, putting it on a plate and handing it over to him before cutting herself one. Next she poured the drinks, did a small toast and sat in the opposite seat from him.

They ate in silence, except for Touko making groaning noises and commenting how she hasn't had chocolate in 'forever'. After they were done, Touko made a move to get up and N thought she was going to leave and they would continue on as it was this past month, so he thought fast.

"I was ashamed!"

Touko stilled, staring at the young king, wide eyed.

"Huh?"

"Well, after what I did in the meeting room four weeks ago makes me feel ashamed. The feeling and everything was great, I haven't felt anything like it, but after the feeling left, I felt embarrassed, disgusted. I couldn't believe I did that to you. And I didn't know that romance novels would have such an effect on me."

"Oh," Touko exhaled before letting out a tired laugh. "I thought it was all my fault. I thought I caused you to ignore me. I believed I was the one who did something wrong."

"No, no. You could never.. I was the one at fault. And I ran away from it all."

"Yes, you did. And I was in pain for the past month."

"I'm sorry.. "

"You should be," Touko huffed and grinned, tugging on one of N's green locks. "Friends don't hurt other friends. Lesson learned?"

"Yes," N offered a weak smile of his own, still feeling bad for putting his friend through such pain.

"Oh, before I forget."

Touko bent down, reached under the table and came back up with a thin, neatly wrapped package in hand. She held it in front of N, who stared at it with wide eyes before glancing up at his friend.

"Is it for me?"

"Uh-huh."

Hesitantly, N took the present from her hands. He tried to unwrap it as gently as possible but that prove to be impossible. After a few minutes of Touko's teasing, though, the young king finally unwrapped the gift and stared down at it in his hands.

"A picture frame?"

It was a plain silver picture frame with small swirls in the corners and printed baby Pokemon dancing on the silvering.

"Where's the picture?"

"Well Anthea said that she'll take one of us together, that is if you'll accept it. I couldn't exactly go out and buy the frame on my own, but it's the thought that counts, right?"

"Right.." N inhaled deeply and traced his fingers along the little Pokemon designs.

"Anthea, Concordia and Hoshi helped me set this up. It's why I've been going to him for the past week, so we could arrange this for you. I asked them to join us but they thought it would be better just for me to be here with you."

"Touko.. Thank you."

N gave a painfully heart melting smile and Touko almost forgot to breathe. Her heart then started to beat at an unnatural speed. 'He really is too beautiful.. '

"N-no problem. I also wanted candles on the cake but Anthea was too paranoid, thinking I would take one and put it near the sprinklers."

The young king laughed for the first time that month and Touko felt her heart swell with happiness. She felt like things were now going to go back to normal and it made her more than happy. If he had ignored her when she first arrived at Liberty Garden Tower, the petite teen was sure she would be glad that he didn't pay attention to her. But now, it was different..

"Are you ready to go to bed?" N asked, a smile still plastered on his face.

"Yeah," she smiled back and waved to the cake and drinks on the table. "Concordia said she'll be by later tonight to clean this up."

"Alright."

They held hands all the way back to their room with Touko humming a random tune while N tried to hum his own broken one. They shared a few laughs and caught up on each other from what they missed the past month.

When they crawled into bed, Touko had automatically rolled on over to N's side, snuggling up to his bare chest, eyes closed but a wide smile on her face. The young king leaned into her touch, wrapped one arm around her waist, the other around her shoulders. The petite teen sighed out contently and started to hum again before they both drifted off to a peaceful sleep, the first one in a month.

. . .

When Touko awoke in the middle of the night, her eyes instantly slid over to where the couch is on the other side of the room and saw nothing there. Sliding her hand to the space in front of her, she came into contact with warm skin and smiled to herself.

N's breathing was leveled, light. Touko was glad his back was facing her or else she would have gotten to urge to reach up and touch his face, memorize every inch of it. The petite teen didn't realize how much she had missed him, didn't think she could tell him just how much. The playful banter and teasing was what she was used to, what she had grown to enjoy and looking forward to.

Inhaling deeply and holding, Touko slid out of the bed, trying as hard as she could so the bed didn't jostle the other teen awake. She opened the drawer from the night stand on her side of the bed and pulled out the letters she had gotten from her mom and friends last month.

After sneaking one last glance at N's sleeping face, Touko tip toed her way to the bathroom, shutting the door before flipping on the light. The petite teen place every single letter onto the counter, except for Touya's, which settled comfortably in her pocket.

"These are the only things that are going to keep me going.." Touko whispered to herself, gripping onto the edge of the counter so tightly that her knuckles started to turn white. "Because the longer I spend time with him, the more I'm beginning to think life here might not be so bad.. "

Taking another deep breath, Touko began reading the first word at the beginning of each sentence in all three letters.

_"I Am Trying My Best"_ - Mom

_"Keeping In Contact With The Gym Leaders_" - Belle

_"Can't You Hurry Up"_ - Cheren

Touko smiled bitterly at Cheren's secret note. It's just like him to tell her to do something rudely. But she needed that to keep her ground. Knew that if the other teen had wrote something reassuring and out of character, she would began to think that it wouldn't be a problem if she lived here.

Touya hadn't wrote a secret note. There was no need because he had nothing to hide. He boldly wrote that they could move after she was released. It was temptingly sweet, and so like Touya. But N had said he wouldn't allow her to move. Back then, she was angry that he would dare to even control her, but now she was thinking how possessive his voice sounded. Strong and dark. It sent chills down her spine.

"No!" Came the harsh whisper.

Touko continued to read the words over and over until she felt her eyes beginning to droop. Licking her dry lips, the petite teen folded the letters up neatly, flipped the light switch off and opened the door as slowly as she could. She was glad it didn't creak, nor did the floors groaned under the balls of her feet.

Touko slide the letters back into the night stand drawer, climbed onto the bed slowly and got under the covers carefully. She saw that N was now laying on his back, his head turned in her direction. His innocent face did wonders to her heart, even in the dark she could see the outlines after her eyes got adjusted. Snapping her eyes shut, the petite teen waited for a short amount of time before sleep claimed her.

. . .

A/N Bomb Drop: No updates until late July or mid August. I'm leaving for Edmonton for a few days then I'm going to be in Miami for a month. Don't murder me! I'm not giving up on Eden. c: I'll stick with it until the end.


	12. Chapter 12

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Twelve

. . .

"Lean to the side a bit more, Miss Touko. No, no, the other side. Master N, stand a bit straighter, please." Anthea ordered the two teens, gesturing them with her hands.

Touko grumbled, leaning in closer to N.

"Suck it in, Miss Touko. Try and at least make your side of the picture look attractive."

The petite teen was about to snap a sarcastic reply but a large, warm hand took a hold of her's. Looking up, Touko saw N smiling down at her and she couldn't help but simply stare back, mesmerized by his handsome looks.

Anthea looked through the professional camera lens that was brought in this morning by Concordia. She saw the exchange between the two teens in front of her and immediately saw something in their eyes, a spark, humming underneath the surface.

There was a quick flash, followed by a whirring sound and Touko turned back to Anthea, gaping.

"Hey, I wasn't ready!"

"Hurry, hurry," Anthea mumbled, her mind reeling over what she saw.

This time Touko smiled naturally in front of the camera, obviously not camera shy, and showing off her pearly whites while N gave a relaxed smile of his own. They continued to hold hands through the whole photo shoot.

Anthea spent the next half hour, snapping photos while ordering the two teens into different poses before she finally declared the photo shoot over and done with.

"This should have been done on the day we went on a date," N murmured, appraising Touko's dress.

"I agree," the petite teen nodded in agreement, glad that the Plasma Goddesses still had the sundress with them.

When the two older women saw that Touko was just going to wear her grey shirt and black shorts, they were appalled. Anthea told her that standing next to N, she might as well have been sitting by his feet as a maid.

The King had worn a white silk dress shirt with a red tie and black slacks. He didn't seem to mind at all that Touko was going to be in the photo while wearing her every day clothes but was more pleased when Concordia offered for the other teen to wear the same dress she wore on the date.

"Now then, change back into your other clothes, Miss Touko, before anyone walks in on us and reports back to the Sages."

Touko complies, sighing as she made her way behind the dressing screen. She really liked the dress, even if it didn't show off her 'womanly' curves. It's not like she wanted to impress N _that_ much. Anything she did seem to impress or please him.

After changing back into her plain shirt and shorts, Touko stepped out from behind the screen and saw N and Anthea looking through the pictures on the camera.

"Touko, do you want to see these? They're really good."

"No, it's okay. I liked to be surprised." The young king blinked then smiled in understanding.

"Anthea and Concordia are going to print them all off for me. I'll pick one to go into the picture frame while the rest will go into a photo album."

"That sounds like a good idea." Touko walked over to Concordia, reluctantly handing over the neatly folded dress and stood back as they packed up the equipment.

Once finished, Anthea turned towards Touko, holding out a piece of paper.

"Hoshi handed this to me and requested that I pass it off to you."

"Hm?" The teen blinked once before taking the note from the small yet slightly rough hand and began to read it.

_'Touko, I have gone home for my days off. I will be back in a few days. Hoshi.'_

"What does it say?" N appeared in front of the smaller teen, causing her to jump.

"Oh, nothing important. He's just gone home for a couple days."

"Really? Good." The young king smiled and went back to helping Concordia pack everything.

"Ugh!" Touko groaned and ran her fingers through her hair, getting caught in a few tangles. "Can't you just get along with him?"

"Why would I do something like that?"

"Because Hoshi is the one who helped me with the personal birthday party. _He_ was the one who gave me the idea in the first place."

N's small smug smile dropped from his face, brows drawing in, blinking rapidly.

"He..actually helped you plan?" The king mildly remembers her saying something like this at his birthday party but blocked it out, due to his excitment.

"Uh-huh."

"Why?"

"N!" Touko gave him a disbelieving look before giving her head a quick shake. "When someone helps you, they're being polite and probably want to be your friend."

"Friend.. " The young king whispered the word, as if he was trying to picture a friendship with someone other than Touko "But you're the only one- "

"N, it is perfectly fine to have more than one friend. In fact, it's good to have a bunch of friends. You'll be surrounded by happiness. But you have to be careful with who you chose to hang out with. Some friends will bring good influence to your life, others will bring bad influence."

"And what influence do you bring me, Touko?"

Chocolate brown eyes jerked up to swirling emerald ones. They stared intently at the petite teen, making it a little harder to breathe, his voice deep and sensual; she thought she had imagined it.

"I, well I.. I bring good influence.. I hope.. "

"You hope?" He stepped closer and she forgot how to breathe.

"Yeah, or else.. I wouldn't be able to.. Oh! You should go back to work before someone comes in and suspects something."

"Wait, what were you going to say?"

Touko tried going around N, but he caught her wrist before she went too far. The petite teen tugged helplessly at her wrist and stared up at the king with sad eyes. He frowned.

"Don't give me that look.. " He spoke softly reaching out to capture a lock of chocolate brown hair between his fingers. "You're making my chest hurt."

"Sorry.." Touko whispered.

N slowly released Touko's wrist and hair slowly, watching her back away and turn towards the door. Concordia was right on her heels, ready to escort the petite teen back to the room.

The king continued to stare long after the other teen left, leaving a longing feeling within himself. With a small sigh, he turned towards his desk, ready to work the day away without his friend.

Anthea stood there, watching the interaction between the two, her features softening at the look on her king's face. She knew what was going on, what could possibly happen, but would it ever last? Would it even start? Many questions popped into the goddess' head but she didn't have an answer for any of them. It bugged her beyond belief, not knowing what was in store for the beloved king.

"Did I do something wrong, Anthea?" N's question startled the goddess out of her thoughts.

"Excuse me?"

"Touko's acting weird around me. I was wondering if I did something wrong without realizing it."

"I'm not sure, king N. She's a strange one."

"I like her strange." He huffed, causing a small smile to grace Anthea's face, her worries and questions forgotten at the moment.

. . .

_'Ugh! 'Or else I wouldn't be able to stay by your side!' I can't believe I almost said that to him! But why didn't I? If I did, N would probably have smile that could light up all over Unova! Ugh!' _Touko continued the raging battle in her head while Concordia lead the way back to the bedroom, even though the petite teen already knew her way. They obviously still didn't trust her.

Heck, Touko didn't trust herself. With the way she was feeling lately, it makes her want to bolt as far away from N as possible. These new feelings and emotions she never had to deal with before, not even with Touya.

"What would Touya do if he was in this situation?" Touko asked aloud without noticing, grabbing the attention of Concordia.

"Pardon, Miss?"

"Oh, sorry, it's nothing."

"Is something troubling you?"

Touko stared at the back of the Goddess. The older woman hadn't turned around or walked in step with the younger teen so Touko couldn't see her facial expression. Was she being sarcastic? Or is the goddess actually trying to help?

"Not really. Well, it's complicated. And then it shouldn't be, I'm just making it so."

"I'm afraid I don't understand.. "

"It's not exactly an easy thing to understand. Say, Concordia?"

"Hmm?"

"What if you wanted to be.. intimate with someone, get to know them better, but knew it was against everything you have going for you, friends, family, that kind of stuff?"

"Are you talking about you and king N?"

Touko's head dropped dramatically.

"How did you guess?"

"You're easy to read when it comes to the topic of my king."

"I was afraid of that.. " The goddess chuckled.

"There are many obstacles in your path if you decide to try something out with the king. You just have to be a hundred percent sure that you're willing to charge through them all with him instead of giving up half way."

"How do you feel about the thought of us?"

"At first, I didn't like it at all. I believed my king could continue on doing great things without the help of a 'friend'. But then I noticed a change in him. A good change. He seemed happier and more enthusiastic about work. But most of his enthusiasm came out when he talked about you."

A light flush dusted Touko's cheeks and she coughed nervously.

"Did he.. talk about me a lot?"

"Enough to almost make Anthea's head explode."

"Oh grief.. " Touko groaned while running a hand down her face. "You poor souls, having to go through all that, I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize. It actually pleases us to see our king so involved in something. Before, he was just content with life but now it's almost as if he's drowning in it. He's more lively. I prefer to see my king this way. And even if Anthea won't admit it, I'm sure she feels the same."

"I'm.. glad."

After a minute, they were finally standing in front of the bedroom door. Concordia stepped aside so Touko could enter. But before she could, the goddess' hand shot out, preventing the teen from entering any further.

"But if you ever cause heartbreak to my beloved king, know that his punishment for you will be enough to satisfy Anthea and myself."

Concordia let her hand fall down to her side before walking off, back into the direction of the office.

Touko slowly went into the room, closing the door so lightly, she wasn't even sure if it was properly closed. Numerous thoughts swirled through the teens mind now. She was sure Concordia was the nicest one of the two goddess' but when it came down to N, they drop all friendliness and grow protective.

"Ahah.. of course they would.. they've been with him since he was a kid, probably since he was born! It still stings a little.." _'To know that I will have to break his heart.'_

. . .

The next few days passed by without much mayhem. Touko continued to act awkward around N, while the king himself tried to figure out what was going on through his friend's head.

N thought through the past day's events, wondering if he had done something to upset Touko, again. He's done it before in the past and wouldn't be surprised if he did something to mess up their smooth friendship.

But whenever he thought about bringing it up at night, before they go to bed, the petite teen would just curl into his side, as usual, and go to sleep. He couldn't help it, but N's heart would just melt and his mind would turn to mush at the sight. He could not disturb her slumber just to ask something that might just be one-sided. What if this was normal for her? But no, she was usually chatty or bugged him while he worked. She was neither of those lately.

"King N? Can you please...sign the paper...please?" A plasma grunt coughed lightly to get his king's attention, hoping he wouldn't displease his leader. But the member really couldn't stand here, watch the young man in front of him day dream when he had other workloads to do.

"S-sorry." N picked up the pen he had dropped onto the floor and quickly jotted his signature onto the paper before handing it back to the grunt.

"I was also to report that Plasma member Hoshi is back from his days off."

".. Is that so?" N mused silently before giving a curt nod. "Very well. Send him up when he's ready. You're dismissed."

"Sir." The grunt saluted and left the office.

The king only waited for thirty minutes before Hoshi showed up, his uniform crisp and clean. The man smelt faintly of aftershave and Irish spring.

"King N. I understand that you wished to see me."

"That is correct."

There was silence. And it etched on for long minutes. The older male began to sweat until N spoke.

"Touko has told me that you gave her the idea of throwing me that birthday party. Is this true?"

"Y-yes." Hoshi's eyes widened and shock laced his voice. "She told you?"

"She has. And she has.. encouraged that we become friends."

"Really?" The plasma member's voice held disbelief and N could only snort.

"Really. And the thought of us being friend pleases her intensely. So, do you want to give it a shot? This friendship thing?"

"O-of course! I'd be honored to."

"Perfect. Now.. "

".. Yes?"

"Do you like Touko? As in.. more than a friend?"

".. No.. "

"Never had any thoughts of wanting to kiss her? Run your fingers through her soft hair?"

"No!"

"I see." N hummed and Hoshi frowned.

"I have a wife, back at home."

"I know. But Touko said you could also have many girlfriends, only it would be troublesome to keep them all."

"That's true. But having more than one girlfriend would be cheating."

"I completely agree. So, you have _no_ friendly feelings toward Touko whatsoever?"

"Of course not!"

"I'm glad." N smiled mischievously. "I can see we'll get along _fine_."

. . .

Touko groaned as she heard the news being passed by gossiping Plasma members. N and Hoshi have tied the knot. Only she wished she was the one do to it for them. The teen can only imagine what the King has questioned the older male about her.

"Well.. might as well face the music." Touko groaned softly, standing up from the awkward position she took on the bed to read a new magazine Anthea had brought for her.

The petite teen made her way over to the door, pressing a button that was installed specifically for her, and waited patiently for someone to show up.

Within ten minutes, a Plasma member, one Touko hasn't seen before, opened the door, waited for her to come out before leading the way.

The grunt had reddish brown hair, green eyes, freckles and a small scar cutting through his left eyebrow. He gave Touko a quick glance over, something flickering in his eyes too quickly for the other teen to catch, before he turned around and began to walk.

The walk itself seemed to take forever. It was also very much awkward, silence ringing in their ears.

Touko began to notice the member was fidgets, trying to sneak glances back at her once in a while.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm new to the job," he blurted out, a flush on his cheeks. "It's been a week since I joined."

"How's it coming along for you?"

"It's not easy. The training is tough and I'm aching the next day, but it's worth it."

Touko didn't bother responding; not wanting to dig into the topic why this person thought joining such an organization was 'worth it'.

"Actually, truth be told, I rooted for you, the whole people would live with Pokemon thing."

"What? Really?" Touko asked surprise filled in her tone. "What happened?

"I saw more light in king N's decision, more reason."

"Please explain," Touko asked, now feeling bitter.

"There's too much hurt in the world of Pokemon. They don't deserve to be treated that way."

"People can change."

"It'll take a lot more than a pep talk to change a person, much less a large sum of people."

"But people can change. I've seen it before. Things are not always perfect at first, but when the Pokemon shows their owner that they're always there for them, they change their ways about everything, even how they treat their Pokemon."

"Now you're just grasping at straws," he scoffed. "I expected more of a fight from you."

Feeling much too bitter, Touko ignores him for the rest of the walk to the office, and the Grunt did the same.

Once they reached the door, Touko turned around, finally facing the Plasma member fully for the first time, brows furrowed, and determination on her face.

"Think about it. Should you just punish the entire population just because some bad eggs? Should everyone else suffer for their doings? Think about your life without Pokemon from here on out. Are you happy with that?"

"What are you talking about?" The Grunt looked at the petite teen, confused. "All the plasma members get to keep their Pokemon - Oops! Ignore that! You didn't hear anything!"

Touko stares at him in shock, her jaw slacking to the side a bit before snapping out of her stupor.

"If you don't tell me about which Pokemon you get to keep, I'm going to tell N _AND_ Ghetsis about this slip up."

"A-as long as we have a Houndoom on our team to keep the peace within Unova, then we can keep the rest of our original team for backup."

_'So basically Unova has been turned into a Police state_,' Touko muses over this and turns into the office without another word to the grunt, ignoring his plea not to tattle on him. She wasn't stupid.

After entering the office and shutting the door, Touko was met with the sight of N crouched over a chess board, brows furrowed, concentration written all over his face while Hoshi was laid back, poker face in place.

It was odd for the petite teen to see them even this close to each other, much less playing a game together.

She waited patiently for them to finish up, Hoshi winning of course, a small smile on her face.

"Touko!" N noticed his friend standing by the stood and waves at her. "Come on over."

The petite teen listens but is still set on edge after hearing that bit of information she probably wasn't supposed to hear or even know about.

N stands up to hug Touko, feeling his stomach do flip flops when she returned the gesture. He stood back and gave her wide, boyish smile.

"Guess what, Touko? We're going to go to star gazing tonight!"

"Star gazing?" Touko repeated, trying to remember the last time she did that with her pokemon.

"Yep" N nods excitedly. "Although, I have to admit, it was Hoshi's idea. And he thinks it'll be best for all of us to get to know each other better if we do activities together."

"That's true.. " Touko murmurs but doesn't tell N that star gazing could also be a romantic event.

. . .

Touko was lead to the roof by Concordia, who was dressed in a long pink silk nightgown with her hair tied up into a ponytail. It was clear this was the last time she'll see the older woman tonight. Touko herself had only worn a long t-shirt and shorts, since summer nights were extremely warm.

Once on the roof, the goddess waited at the door until Touko walked over to the two boys who were already lying down on a blanket, hot tea placed above their heads, before shutting it close and heading back to her room for the night.

The petite teen made a move to lie between them but N shook his head and patted to the empty area on the other side of him, away from Hoshi.

"No, come to this side," the king patted the spot once more, a smile spreading across his face when Touko moved hesitantly over to that side.

"Okay.." Touko suddenly feels nervous but lay down beside N anyways; Butterfree's fluttering in her stomach.

A couple minutes into the event, Hoshi leans over to N and whispers, "To make this more special, hold onto her hand and pretend I'm not here."

N gives a small, nervous nod, a small lump forming in his throat. He shyly runs his fingers down Touko's arm, feeling the goosebumps rise after his touch, until he reaches her hand and holds on.

Touko let her hand lay limp for a moment before returning the squeeze. She felt her heart beat faster, quicker, and fears that it'll be heard by the two men.

The night carries on with light chatter, Hoshi pointing out a shooting star and Touko pointing out the Milky Way. N promises himself to research more about the night sky so he could bring Touko up here more, just the two of them.

A/N: Big thanks to my Beta Reader! I love you to death! And a HUGE thanks to Blackrose105, from DA, for the Star Gazing idea! C: As for my readers, I love you mucho and I'm happy to be back!


	13. Chapter 13

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Thirteen

. . .

_'This has to be an ungodly hour to get up,'_ Touko thought tiredly, shortly after feeling rays of sunshine land directly on her face. She tried to squint but it proved to be painful so she gave up.

After a couple of minutes of getting use to the blinding light, the petite teen registered light snoring in the room. Turning on her side, away from the window, Touko came face to face with the sleeping king, mouth slightly open.

Was it possible to look any more innocent?

Memories of last night came rushing through the teens head, causing her heart to ache and clench. The king had been extra sweet during the stargazing, whispering sweet words into her ear, fingers running up and down her arm. Feeling such sensations should be forbidden.

Touko began to run her hand through N's hair, not realizing how soft it felt since it always seemed... bushy and unruly. She admired the deep dip of his straight nose; those long green lashes that casted a light shadow on his cheeks, the light stubble on his chin, showing signs of an early five o'clock shadow.

Amusingly, Touko rubbed the growing stubble's, liking the way the tiny hairs tickled her fingertips.

N scrunched his nose up at the sensation, turning his head away to get away from the bothersome fingers but they continued until he finally opened his eyes to reveal a grinning Touko. He gave his own lazy smile in return before greeting his friend.

"Morning, sleepy head," Touko greeted, mirth dancing within her eyes.

"Mmmm, morning," N huffed lightly before doing a full body stretch, cracking a few bones. "That feels good," he commented.

Touko realized that she was still running her hand through N's hair, lightly grazing his scalp with her nails. She made a move to stop but the king grabbed onto her wrist, preventing her from moving away.

"Don't stop."

So she didn't.

Touko started to think about last night once again, this time her heart aching for another reason. She wanted to be outside again, but during the day this time. She wanted to soak up some vitamin D from the sun directly instead of having to get it through a window.

"Hey N.. do you want to go on a picnic?"

"A picnic?"

"Yeah. It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day. It'll be perfect."

"Hmm... " N closed his eyes for a moment before opening them up and nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. I'll tell the cooks to prepare a lunch basket for us." He got up and headed for the closet.

"Oh, don't bother. I'll cook us a lunch."

"You know how to cook?" The king asked, whipping around, excitement in his voice.

"Of course. I learned while I was traveling through Unova. Plus my mom also made sure to send me recipes and ingredients so I wouldn't starve."

N took two robes out of his closet, both a dark blue, put one on and handed the other to Touko.

"I'll show you where the kitchen is then!"

The king led his friend down a couple floors before they came to huge steel double doors with large windows.

They entered and were greeted with the sight of rushing chefs, shouting orders to one another. Once they noticed who exactly had stepped into their territory, they literally dropped all that they were doing and bowed lowly.

"King N!" The chefs said in unison before rising.

"Hello everybody," N smiled pleasantly before sniffing the air. "It smells good in here."

"We were just preparing brunch! It'll be ready shortly, if you're hungry, my king." A middle aged man smiled tenderly towards his king before quickly turning back to his pot, stirring furiously so the contents wouldn't burn at the bottom.

"That is quite all right. My friend and I have decided we will go on a picnic."

"Do you need us to prepare you a lunch basket?" Another chef, a female this time, asked with a spatula in hand and clearly eager to please.

"It's quite alright. Touko has volunteered to do the cooking, so I was hoping there would be some free stoves for her to use but it appears-"

Everything seemed to happen at the speed of light for Touko. All the chefs turned off their stoves and hauled everything out of the kitchen.

The two teens stood there, shocked by what happened, trying to process what exactly happened until a couple chefs returned, nervous smiles on their faces.

"If our king's friend needs the stoves, they're free to use! We'll just use the kitchen two floors down."

"Are you sure?" N frowned, suddenly feeling bad for making his helpers move everything to a completely different floor.

"Of course, of course!" A younger chef almost cried out and smiled more widely. "Anything for you, my king."

"Thank you all so much," N gave them his winning smile, causing all the chefs, including the older ones, to blush. "Now I must be off to do some business, but I trust you, Touko, to prepare everything."

"Yeah.. sure.. leave everything to me."

. . .

The cooks watched wearily as Touko rummaged through various pots and pans, shelves and pantries. When the pots banged together, the house cringed but the teen was determined to find the right utensils for her baking.

After having everything out, Touko then began to rummage through the fridge; looked at the product dates before picking out the right ingredients.

Once everything was set, the teen went to work on making sandwiches, burgers, muffins and cookies with juice boxes, berries and Chansey eggs on the side. Once or twice she had day dreamed far too long before hearing the stove beep repeatedly. Luckily nothing was burned.

One cook came up to Touko, a nervous grin on her face.

"Um, miss? How about we take over from here? You can just go rest, relax; we'll take care of everything."

"But it won't taste the same."

"Excuse me?" The cook felt a muscle in her face twitch.

"You guys make the food because you have to, you're getting paid. I'm making it because I want to. It tastes different when there's more feeling put into it."

"Miss.. " The cook wanted to ask if the teen had any screws loose but just coughed and stepped back. "As you wish. But if you ever need us.. _ever_.. we'll be in the room next to the kitchen.. "

"Sure thing. Thanks for the offer, though."

The cook walked back to her colleagues, all of them hoping, wishing, _praying_ that their pans had no dents or burnt marks in them by the time the petite teen was through with them.

Touko let out a sigh of relief when her spectators left the room. _'Finally,'_ she thought before taking more care with her cooking. She knew how the pots and pans were the cooks' instruments, their dance partners. Her mother had scolded her one time when she was being careless while cooking one time.

"Mom.. " Touko whispered painfully and shook her head. "I won't be sad, not here, not now."

After taking a deep breath, Touko was ready to cook with more care. Instead, she thought of what the grunt had said to her. _'So they're allowed to keep their Pokemon..._' The teen thought bitterly.

She had already considered bringing it up with N, but what would that accomplish? The least he would do is admit to it, though it wouldn't change anything.

Not even her feelings for him.

"Alright, alright! I admit it!" Touko huffed and crossed her arms across her chest, a nice shade of red heavily tinting her cheeks.

The teen would admit it to herself but never to the king. She could just imagine him bouncing off the walls in excitement. Or would this be another subject that he would have to learn?

The thought almost made her smile.

An hour and a half later, Touko was done with everything, thankful that the tower had a huge kitchen with multiple stoves. It saved time.

After packing everything away in a picnic basket, Touko made her way back up to N's room, a grunt leading the way. It was a different person every time the teen saw them, so there's no way she could question that other plasma member for more answers.

_'Just my luck,' _the teen thought sourly before the grunt came to a stop at the bedroom. He waited patiently for her to enter the room before leaving.

Touko noticed N wasn't in the room and decided to get out of the flour covered robe, take a shower and dress for the picnic. Although her choice was very limited...

Touko wasted no time heading to the bathroom, stripping and getting under the hot steaming water. It felt soothing on her aching muscles, not realizing how out of shape she had gotten since she had been captured.

Curiously, the teen grabbed a piece of flesh on her stomach and gaped.

_'Flab!'_

Touko stood frozen for long moments, the suds of conditioner washing out of her hair and down the drain, but the teen could care less at the moment. She tested her skin again, except at a different part and grabbed some flab once again.

Touko resisted to urge to squeal, and opted instead to pace in the shower.

_'How could I let myself go like this? Sure, I've been lazing around for months, and N makes sure I'm fed properly.. will N still consider me a friend after I gained fifty pounds?' _The teen could clearly imagine the look of horror on the king's face when the day comes that she's overweight, asking if he still wants to hang out together.

_'Yeah.. friggen.. right.. '_

The thought made Touko gasp.

_'When did I start worrying about if he'll like me if I'm fat or not? I never worry about these things!'_

Furiously, the teen squirted a generous amount of conditioner on her palm, rubbed her hands together and lathered it into her hair roughly.

By the time she was done, Touko was burning red when she came out of the shower, scalp slightly aching. She stared at herself in the full body mirror, towel tightly wrapped under her arms. She stared. And stared. And _stared_.

_'No matter what I see, all I can picture is rolls ready to grow. What the hell is wrong with me?'_

With a depressed sigh, Touko turned away from the mirror and stalked out into the bedroom to find...

"Anthea? Concordia?"

"Oh, you're finally done!" Concordia trilled happily.

"We were beginning to think you wanted to waste this day away."

"What do.. you mean?"

"Our king has informed us about this picnic date you suggested. We're all for it, so he could experience new things while he can. But we're not all for hearing you wail in the bathroom about rolls." Anthea teased, a small smirk played on her lips.

_'I said that out loud?' _Touko gawked, feeling heat rise to her cheeks.

"Now, now, have no fear. I'm sure our king will still find you…attractive, even if you gained all the weight in the world." The pink haired goddess smiled wholeheartedly.

"Don't say thaaaat," the teen whined and walked further into the room. "May I ask what you two are doing here?"

"We're here to dress you, of course," Anthea said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The two goddesses came forward, placing clothes, make-up boxes and other tools onto the bed. _'Why hadn't I noticed that earlier?'_ Touko frowned, looking worriedly at the stuff cluttering the unmade bed.

"Now…shall we make you presentable, Miss Chubbs?" Concordia smiled; a mischievous glint in her eyes.

. . .

Touko came out of the room thirty minutes later, completely dolled up. Her auburn hair had been through the curling iron, the top half being tied into a messy French bun while the rest was left free to bounce at her back. Concordia had applied light make up, to bring out the teens cerulean eyes more, as well as a light blush applied to her cheeks.

Anthea had rummaged through the piles of clothes, taking one, holding it in front of Touko's form before shaking her head and tossing it. After a few minutes, the goddess had settled on a blue and red plaid dress that reached above the knees with thin white frilly straps and light blue sandals.

The goddesses had considered giving the teen a sun hat but the news had stated that it would be a cloudy day with a thirty percent chance of rain, so they ditched it, settling for putting a plastic cherry blossom flower in instead, to pin a couple bangs back from her face.

N was waiting outside the bedroom door, pacing up and down the hall nervously. His heart rate doubled over every time he thought about going out with Touko again. He has been thinking lately about going somewhere with his friend again, but didn't know exactly where to take her.

_'Perhaps Kanto? I heard it's really beautiful. But then again, being surrounded by trainers might make her sad.. '_ While the king fussed over the idea of other regions allowing people to own Pokemon, the door opened to reveal Touko and his train of thought stopped completely.

Touko worried her bottom lip at N's expression and glanced behind her for assistance from the goddesses, but they only gave her encouraging smiles before slamming the door in the teen's face.

_'Damn them,' _she thought before turning back to N, only to stumble back. Somehow, without hearing the footsteps, he had appeared right in front of her.

"Um... " Was all the petite teen would say, growing nervous by how close they there, a dark blush staining her cheeks.

"You're…beautiful."

N had never, _ever_ called someone beautiful. He would call the goddesses pretty, or cute, but never beautiful. He had only called Pokemon beautiful, because they are. They deserved to be called the best and nothing less.

But this person, his friend, made him freeze on the spot, losing all rational train of thought. He could only utter the truth, making his heart ache at the sight of her. How anyone could have not notice her before. Surely model agencies have stopped her on the streets a couple of times on her journey?

While the king gained back his thoughts, staring wide eyed at Touko, said teen finally grew tired of the silence and awkward closeness and reached out, tugging lightly on one strand of N's hair.

"You're pretty handsome yourself," she whispered, voice trembling while speaking the honest truth.

N had worn a casual grey dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, with a Poke ball on the breast pocket. The logo at the helm of the shirt in small bold brown letters said "Ferrow's Fashion". He wore black shorts, also carrying the same logo as his shirt, and Touko realized how long his legs were.

Looking back up, the petite teen noticed how much taller the king was compared to her. How male he was. Male...

Feeling her cheeks raise ten more shades of red, Touko finally realized that N was, in fact, a male. A man. He wasn't a boy anymore. Perhaps his mind had stopped growing in some parts due to his father, causing innocent, childlike words to come from his mouth without knowing it, but he was all male.

_'Oh my God, oh my God.. !' _Touko had never thought anything of N other than a _boy_. But now..

N watched as Touko diverted her gaze from him, sneaking glances every few seconds, eyes roaming different places of his body before snapping away. His chest swelled at the thought of his friend checking him out and was pleased with the clothes Anthea had picked out for him.

Said goddess opened the door, frowning, and a small tint of pink on her cheeks.

"Okay, you've checked each other out long enough, even I'm getting embarrassed. Just go already before the days over," Anthea huffed. Seriously, this sudden sexual tension in the air was bugging her.

"S-sorry!" Touko squeaked and began to walk towards the window where Reshiram was outside, waiting patiently.

"Thanks for everything, Anthea," N mumbled and followed after the other teen.

"Any time, my king," the goddess smiled at the two, feeling the soft spot she had for Touko grow. Maybe she was right for her king after all.

She had been afraid N would grow up cold, emotionless, just like his father.

When the teen and king reached the window, Touko couldn't help but muse, _'Sneaking out again, huh_.' The thought thrilled her.

They got onto the legendary Pokemon, N making Touko sit in front of him and she reluctantly agreed. He had sat behind her, before wrapping strong arms around her midsection.

"Don't want you falling off," he whispered in her ear.

N told the Pokemon where to fly and soon, they were zipping through the clouds, the humidity making it more warm than cold when the wind whipped at them.

The ride itself took fifteen minutes before Reshiram found the location and landed with grace. It slowly lowered itself onto its stomach, letting its master and friend off, taking the picnic basket with them, before taking off again though always within sight for whenever it was needed again.

Touko took the basket from N, pulling out a thin blue blanket and laid it neatly onto the grass. Next she took out two plastic plates and cups, along with the food she put in containers.

"The food looks delicious," N commented, sitting down on the blanket.

"Thank you," Touko didn't think she blushed so much in one day and joined the king on the blanket.

They helped themselves to the small feast and drinks, giving their cups a tap against each other before drinking. It was silent except for N's comments on how good the food tasted and Touko's mumbled 'thank you's'.

Touko peeked up from under her lashes, watching N eat her food enthusiastically. He truly looked happy. And it made her feel happy that he was happy. And that should have made her feel wrong, horrible, but it didn't.

"Do you think I'll make a good wife some day?" The petite teen spoke without thinking first, but she had wanted to hear his reply.

"... Yeah, you'll make a great wife for someone." And it wasn't what she was expecting to hear.

N didn't know why Touko suddenly asked that question, but he hadn't answered truthfully. He knew that she would go back to her family and friends soon, but the thought of some other man claiming her the way he wanted to set him on edge.

"_I will never let another man touch you,"_ the male character had said in the book the king was reading._ "Your heart, body, soul, all of it belongs to me."_

And that's the way N felt. Some other guy couldn't just walk into Touko's life and steal her away from him. He wouldn't allow it.

On instinct, the king shuffled closer to Touko, not noticing her frown.

Touko was about to ask if N planned on looking for a wife, a _queen_, some day but the rustling of bushes behind them stopped her.

Instantly, they both stood and turned around, N pulling out a Pokeball from within his pocket. They watched and waited with baited breaths.

Seconds later, a grey Pokemon popped its head out of the bush, staring at the two humans warily.

Touko felt her heart pound at the sight. Lately, every Pokemon she sees, except for Reshiram, made her heart ache with longing.

With careful, slow movement, she sat back down on the blanket and took out a couple berries from a container in the basket. She rolled a few over to the Pokemon, making it jump back, frightened.

"That isn't a good idea. The Pokemon is afraid," N murmured softly, also sitting back down.

Touko felt her shoulders slump momentarily but perked right back up when the Pokemon popped it's head back out, sniffing the air before fully emerging from the bushes to eat the berries.

"A Minccico," Touko whispered, a growing smile on her face.

N blinked.

The Minccico came closer, sniffing for more berries. Touko held out her hand with the rest of the berries in it, coaxing the tiny Pokemon to come closer.

In the next few seconds, the Pokemon was standing right in front of them, eating from the palm of Touko's hand, its little paws holding onto her fingers for support.

N stared at the small creature with confusion in his eyes. The things the Minccico was saying everything N was against. He wanted to call out on the Pokemon's lies but knew they were the most truthful, they didn't know how to lie.

"The Mincicco is saying you're very nice. He likes you."

"Well I would hope so after the berries I'm giving him," Touko lightly joked.

The king continues to watch the interaction, feeling his heart tugging at the urge to catch the Pokemon with his free Pokeball sitting within his back pocket, just to continue seeing his friend smile so carefree. It was rare for him to see her smile like that at anything, as he always did something to gain it.

He felt a little jealous and anger towards the innocent creature, causing his brain to numb. He shouldn't be feeling that way, especially towards a_ Pokemon_.

Touko now had the Mincicco in her arms, stroking the soft gray fur, all the way up to its white tipped ears. She began cooing at it, rubbing her face on top of its head every few seconds.

"You know," N starts, slightly amused. "That Mincicco isn't a baby."

"It may not be, but he's still cute. Aren't you little guy? Yes, yes you are!" She gave her cheek another rub.

The Minccico squealed happily, rubbing back just as much.

"You're acting like a mother Pokemon would, for a Mincicco. They would soothe their babies by ruffling the fluff of hair on top of its head and massage their ears."

"I've volunteered at the Pokemon Center plenty of times to experience Pokemon births and a bit of their growth, so I've had time to study the interactions between the mother and child."

"Do you want to be a mother someday, Touko?" The question had caught the teen off guard for a moment but she straightened up.

"Of course! But not at least for another ten years or so. I still want to experience the world.. while I can.

"Besides a wife, you'll make a wonderful mother, as well." N murmured.

Touko looked at the king, watching him gaze at the Mincicco in her arms, an unreadable emotion in emerald depths.

"Do you want children, N?"

"I do. Once I discover how they are made."

_'Oh good Lord... '_ Touko thought before speaking in a sarcastic tone. "Last I heard, you had to buy them from these small tubes filled with green liquid, at a market in Nimbasa City. You bring it home, place it in dirt and let it grow. There are all kinds of tubes to choose from. You can pick what eye colour, hair colour and personality you want in your child."

"Really?" N jerked his head at Touko, face serious.

The petite teen couldn't help but burst out laughing while quickly shaking her head.

"No, no! Of course not!"

N frowned deeply, clearly not amused.

Touko suddenly felt bad, remembering that the king doesn't have a mother and highly doubted that Anthea or Concordia would sit him down to explain where babies came from. Most likely strict orders from Ghetsis.

"Okay, you know in the book you're reading, right? Well, when a man and woman.. come together.. not literally, just the man, but they do come together.. ugh! Alright, when a man has his.. " Touko points to N's crotch. "In a woman's" Touko then points to hers. "And he leaves something behind.. like a white flag saying "I've been here!", after a few weeks, a fetus will be growing in a woman's womb. After nine months a baby comes from the woman's.. special place and ta-da! You have a baby!"

Touko swore that her head was going to explode any moment from all the blood rush it was getting today.

N's mouth made the shape of an 'o' and nodded in understanding.

"So, basically we have sex and you'll give me a baby in nine months."

"Yes," Touko nods. "That's exactly... What!"

The king gave her a charming, boyish smile and she sighed, lightly resting her chin on top of the Minccico's head. The small fluff hid a secret smile.

In truth, Touko wouldn't mind so much having a green haired, blue eyed child running around the house while holding a brown haired, green eyed newborn in her arms. It made the teen feel warm and tingly all over. It made her feel happy.

"Touko.. do you want to capture that Pokemon?" N couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth, but he accidentally spied that small smile his friend was sporting. He kept reminding himself of the goal he achieved, how it was supposed to stay that way. His mind screamed at him yet his heart soared when he saw hope rise within her eyes.

"... Are you messing with me... ?"

"I'm very serious. The Mincicco has gotten attached to you. I have a feeling that if we were to take off, it would try to follow your scent."

"I... I would love to catch the Mincicco, more than anything... but I don't have a Pokeball... "

N pulled out his own from the back of his pocket, holding it out for the petite teen to take. She reached out and hesitated for split second before placing her hand in his. He closed his hand over hers and brought the small, dainty hand to his lips for a small kiss before releasing her.

Touko swallowed deeply, heart fluttering at the Pokeball in her hand and the sweet action the king had done. She could still feel the place where he kissed, burning a mark into her.

"It's been so long since I held one.. " The teen murmured, testing the small ball within her hand before enlarging it and looking down at the small creature. "Do you want to be mine, Minccico?"

"Miiiiin!" It squealed delightedly while nodding vigorously.

"I don't think I need to translate that for you," N chuckled softly.

"Pokeball... " Touko started out softly, slowly gaining the courage she had back when she was a Pokemon trainer. "Go!"

. . .

A/N: Many thanks to both of my Beta readers! LostAngel65 and BlackRose104! I hope reading Eden will be much easier.

Also, here is a side story, a 'spoof' I guess you could say. A chat between Angel and I.

. . .

Hope: Hmm.. here's a website with hairstyles.

Angel: Which one are you going to pick?

Hope: OMG LOL! I should pick the one in the bottom right corner!

Angel: KJHGFDSD LOLWTF

Hope: I can just imagine it.

_Touko came out of the room, hair tightly braided into corn rows, little dribbles of blood leaking on the side of her head. She sends N a cool look._

_"This look is dope, homie g skittlet on a slice of cake."_

Angel: JHGASDFGHJ LOL N WOULD BE SO CONFUSED

. . .

And that was that. Hope you enjoyed that bit!


	14. Chapter 14

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Fourteen.

. . .

Anthea took back what she felt for Touko earlier today. The young female may bring out the best in her king, but apparently she was also changing him without even knowing it, in ways no one in Team Plasma wanted.

The goddess turned towars the green haired male, disappointment shining dimly in her sad eyes.

After arriving back at the casle, N had brought Touko back to the room with simple instructions before running off to find one of the goddesses. He found Anthea first.

Once they were in a room with no video cameras or microphones, the king had spilled out what had happened, what he allowed. The goddess stood there, watching him pace back and forth, running a hand through stray hair once in awhile.

"My king... what have you done?"

"I don't know!" He shouted louder than intended, causing Anthea to flinch back in surprise. "I'm sorry, it's just... my thoughts are jumbled up."

"As well as your feelings."

N stared at her for a long moment before sighing, sitting down in a red plush chair.

"Everything about me is. I can't seem to think straight lately, except when I think of her. She clouds my every thought, taunting me with that snarky attitude of hers."

"How do you feel about Miss Touko?"

"I feel... that I like her more than a friend. As a boyfriend, husband, lover, I don't know, but I just want _more_."

Anthea blinked owlishly. _' 'As a boyfriend, husband, lover, I don't know, but I just want more?' ' Didn't I read that some where before?' _She thought before sitting on a chair across from N.

"Please, elaborate."

"Her smile." The king gave the goddess a small one of his own but didn't realize how sad, tortured and painful it looked. "Have you ever seen her smile at something because she wanted to? I haven't. Except for today. She smiled at a Pokemon, simply for exsisting. It made me realize that I had given her something to earn that smile. It made me ache a little, right here." He placed his right hand over his heart and clutched the grey dressshirt tightly.

"My king... "Anthea whispered, trying her best not to slump her shoulders in defeat.

Her king wasn't suppose to turn out like this. He wasn't suppose to turn out into a sopping mess because of some girl. He was going to be great, a ruler over Unova, kind and loving to all. She thought Touko would help him along his way, but without knowing it, the teen was driving him down a different road that wasn't meant for him.

"I want to lock her up, her and her smile, so that it'll be only meant for me. I can already imagine it. After two weeks or so, I'd check up on her and she would smile at the sight of me, simply because _I _exsist."

"Or she would be extremely angry and slap you."

"Or that," N smiled ruefully and sighed. "I want to posses her, Anthea. I want all of her. I was so close to considering about letting people catch Pokemon again, just for her sake. If I did, she would be so happy with me, she'd smile all the time in my presence. She would never leave me."

"She has to go back to her family sometime." The goddess whispered softly, trying to turn his thoughts elsewhere but failing.

"No she do- "

"Yes, she does!" Anthea said more firmly and stood quickly, causing the chair to fall back, shoulders stiff. "Look at you, my king. You're a Ditto in that girls hands, allowing her to mold you into what she wishes for you to be. You were raised to be independent, to care about the Pokemon's needs for the better. You were going along perfectly until you ran into her. _What happened_?"

The goddess knew her voice was getting desperate, out of character, but, damn it, she was desperate! Her most beloved person, someone she saw possibly as a son, was going against what everyone at Plasma stood for.

What had taken the two goddesses years to raise properly was being destoryed in just a matter of months. How was it possible?

"Do you love her?" Anthea finally let her shoulders slump, eyes going dull.

"I... don't know if this emotion is called 'love'. I just want her, Anthea. I don't even want another male looking at her, not even her 'friends' and especially not Hoshi."

"King... this is borderline possesive... "

"But I do want to posses her. I want it all, the girl, the trainer, I want _Touko_." His voice was pleading as he spoke her name.

It was silent for the longest time. Anthea trying to process everything, trying to analyze what would be the next best move while N was filled with thoughts of Touko and everything about her. The quirks, the perfection, the imperfection.

"Anthea... don't you wish you still had your Chansey?"

The question caught the goddess off guard, for her eyes widened, face filled with panic.

"Well, I... I... "

"I know you miss her. You've had her ever since you and Concordia started to raise me."

"Of course I miss her," she whispered and rubbed her arm. The goddess never had one of these chats with her king before. Never had the "what if" question swimming around in her head.

"My father still has her."

"Ghetsis? He does?" This was news to Anthea.

Ghetsis had demanded that even the goddesses hand over their Pokemon, to be released, yet the grunts were allowed to keep theirs for security reasons.

"Why do you think there's always Chansey Eggs in the fridge?"

The information and question sent dark chills down Anthea's spine. She balled her hands up, feeling a feeling she had never felt before, or never thought she would feel. Rage.

There was a difference between anger and rage, to the goddess. She felt angry at Touko, for what she was changing the king into. Anger can die down. But rage. Rage starts to build at fast heights, uncontrolling, unstoppable. And she had to stop before it was too late.

"Chaney's can produce an egg every seven days," N murmured, keeping his eyes down cast. "If they're egg is taken. Leave the egg in it's pouch, and a Happiny will hatch after five months. That's why you don't see them often when you go out to catch Pokemon, they're so rare, so people catch them the moment they see one. But you knew all this, of course. My father took one of the eggs and put it in the incubator. He's testing to see if the egg can hatch without the mothers warmth, love."

"That... bas- " Anthea stopped herself before she could continue, eyes widening. Even N seemed shocked about what was going to come out of her mouth. "Forgive me, my king, I didn't mean any disrespect."

"Don't worry about it, Anthea. I can kind of understand how you feel, because Touko went through the same thing."

"But... I thought my Chansey was going to be released... I was okay with that. But this... "

"This is different." He finished for her, his eyes meeting hers.

For the first time, Anthea saw her king as a grown, mature man instead of a growing boy.

"You grew up too fast... I'm sorry," the goddess apologized and bent down, bringing her king into a motherly hug.

"It's okay." He whispered and returned the hug.

After a few moments they pulled back. Anthea sent him a sad smile.

"What do you plan on doing now, my king?"

"I'm slowly going to work things out with Touko. Make her see it my way, that staying here will be the best for her."

"Don't force her against her will." Anthea warned, brows furrowing.

"I'm trying not to, but my heart feels like it's going to explode soon if I don't do something, anything, to convince her that where she belongs is in my arms. What about you? What are you going to do about your Chansey?"

"There's nothing I can do. No one is allowed to have Pokemon in their possession. That even goes for the goddesses of Plasma."

"And... what about..." Anthea sent him a reassuring smile.

"Concordia and myself will be with you every step of the way. Because we were born to be with you, my king, not Ghetsis."

N let out a breath of relief and smiled back at the goddess.

"Thanks," he whispered before leaving the room, making his way back to Touko.

. . .

Touko watched, amusingly, as the Minccino started to chase it's Pokeball around the room, once in awhile mewing softly in her direction before continuing it's little game.

N had left her simple instructions: Order the Pokemon to hide if it heard anyone coming down the hall and to make sure it didn't make too much noise. If anyone finds out what he had done, things would go sour quickly.

Thus the petite teen looked around the room to try and find something to occupy the little creature's time before it started to whine of boredom. She picked up the Pokeball, rolled it over to the Minccino and was glad that he was easy to please. It chased the ball all around the room, occasionally having to find a way to nudge it out of a corner.

Touko still had a hard time believing that N actually gave her a Pokeball to catch a Pokemon. It warmed her heart in ways she never thought possible.

"Miiiiin," the small creature mewled as it jumped up onto the bed, bored with the ball already.

"Hey there, little guy," the teen cooed, reaching over to pet the Pokemon.

It still felt so unreal to see one in front of her, one that was her _own_. Touko never thought she would own another Pokemon again.

Never did Touko think that the king would allow her to catch a Pokemon. A king that had banned all trainers and people from owning these beautiful creatures. She felt special.

'Of course I am,' Touko rolled her eyes. 'I'm the kings best friend! That would make anyone special.'

There was an almost silent click of a door opening, nearly scaring the petite teen out of her wits.

N entered the room, shoulders slightly hunched, his face tight with grim. He closed the door and his eyes instantly find Touko sitting on the bed.

Touko, realising who entered, smiled brightly in his direction, eyes filling with liquid warmth and admiration.

The king smiled back and was just about to make his way over to his friend but the look she was sending him caused his body to stop listening. He stood there, one knee raised, staring widely. He felt his heart flutter uncontrollably but remember that she was only smiling at him because he had allowed he to catch a Pokemon.

"What do you plan on doing with the Pokemon?" N let his smile drop quickly, changing his direction to the closet.

"Well," Touko pondered for a moment before answering. "I can't exactly train him. But he will be a good friend."

For a moment, N felt disgusted and ill at the word "train". He looked at the Pokemon that was sniffing all over the bed, taking in all the new scents.

The Minccino was able to devise who's side of the bed belonged to who before hoping over to Touko's side, mewling up at her softly.

"Are you hungry, little guy?" The teen gently scratch the creatures shin.

"Ciii!"

"N, I'm going to head down to the kitchen and grab some food for Minccino, okay?"

"Alright. I won't be having someone escort you. You know the way, right?"

Touko felt a jolt of shock. The king was so trusting of her, he knew she wouldn't run away when there wasn't anyone there to watch her.

"Yup!" She smiled, nodded and left quickly.

N and Minccino were now alone.

The king looked over at the Pokemon, face blank. The Minccino stares back, not backing down.

"Do you like being here?"

_'Yes.'_

"What about your family? Friends?"

_'It saddens me to leave them, but having a human care for me is the greatest feeling.'_

"What if she hurts you?"

_'She wouldn't do that.'_

"How do you know?"

_'Her aura is strong, bright. But when I first encountered her, it was dimmed a little, depressing. But once she caught sight of me, I was almost blinded by it's shine.'_

N grounded his molars together in irritation, stripping himself of the fancy clothing he wore today, taking out a white t-shirt and blue shorts.

_'I never met a human before who was so happy just by seeing me. I thought that if I were to be by her side, to be able to make her this happy, I wouldn't mind being caught.'_

"You'll never be free again."

_'I don't mind. As long as she, my owner, is happy, then I am happy.'_

"You don't want to think about yourself?"

_'I have thought about myself long enough. And now that I'm grown up, it was time for me to move on to find a new adventure. I'm sure that if I wanted to see my family again, all I have to do is show my owner some clues. Or tell you to tell her, since you can communicate with me.'_

"You'll never enter a Pokemon battle. Ever. You'll be just kept like this, a _pet_. Does that satisfy you?"

_'Once again, as long as my owner is happy, I am happy as well.'_

N, once again, stared hard at the Minccino, his stare getting returned with intensity.

_'If you hurt my owner, I won't hesitate to attack you.'_

N stepped back, shocked. A Pokemon has never, ever said they'd attack him. He never imagined the day a Pokemon would speak badly to him.

"What are you talking about?"

_'Your aura. It's warm and inviting when she's around, but it starts to darken with desire. Then it begins to go smokey and slowly to black, as if you're angry at her or yourself.'_

"That has nothing to do with you."

_'It does now. I'll protect my owner if any danger is directed at her.'_

"I would never hurt her!" N protested, his fingers curling into a fist. "I like Touko too much to harm her."

_'You say that now... but it feels like your aura is spiraling out of control when you're around her. I've just met you awhile ago but even I'm set on edge.'_

N bit his lip, none too tenderly, remembering the little chat he had with the goddess not too long ago.

The two males began another staring contest, N nearly jumping out of his skin when the door opened.

"I was able to grab some baked goods that was left over from this morning." Touko announced cheerfully, bringing the plate over to the bed.

Minccino instantly dived for the plate, grabbing a cookie with both of its paws and munched happily on the delicious treat.

Touko watched the little creature, a wide smile on her face the whole time. She was absolutely fascinated.

N watched the petite teen, his heart heavy and clenching from the sight of a smile on her face that was directed to the Pokemon.

"I told Anthea."

Touko suddenly felt worried and sat down on the bed, crossing her legs. "What did she say?"

"It didn't go smoothly, I didn't expect it to. But she won't tattle."

The petite teen frowned, petting the Minccino when it climbed into her lab, nibbling on it's second cookie. She stroked the soft fur, a smile replacing the frown at the sound of soft purring.

The Minccino turned his head towards N and sent the king a smug smile.

_'Why that little... he's taunting me!'_ N gave a defeated sigh. "I'm going to shower and get ready for bed."

"Alright." Touko answered.

After waiting for the sound of water running, the teen coaxed the Minccino to climb out of her lap before going to the closet, stripping out of the beautiful dress she wore today and hung it up. She slipped off a nightgown from a hanger and got into it before heading back to the bed, snuggling into the blankets comfortably.

Touko looked through the small pile of magazines on her night stand, making a mental note to ask Concordia or Anthea for some new ones and to just recycle these ones. She could practically picture what was on every single page of them all.

N came out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, wearing dark green silk boxers while some droplets of water dripped from his hair and onto his skin. He made his way to the bed, opening the drawer of his night stand, pulled out a book, and closed it.

"What do you plan on reading tonight?" Touko asked as the king got into the bed and under the covers.

"Oh, just a book Anthea and Concordia use to read to me when I was younger."

"Really? Interesting. What is it called?"

" 'Reaper Tales of the Raichu' " N lifted up the book to show Touko the cover of a Raichu, eyes wide, crazed, sharp teeth with blood dripping from its chompers.

"How cu-... " ... _'That's not a childrens book!'_

"It's filled with mini stories of a mad Raichu. Want to hear one?"

"S-sure.. "

_"Thump. Thump. A heart beat? First it would pump slowly, speed up and slow down again. Thump... Thump... Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump._

_Then where was a whisper..._

_'I see you. I'm always with you.'_

_I feel my own heart speed up. I walk up the stairs and feel as if there's someone behind me._

_I sneak a glance but see nothing._

_'I am not seen. It's almost impossible. But I'm here, with you.'_

_I run up the rest of the steps, the voice feeling hauntingly close. I climb into bed and get under the covers. Whatever it is, it won't catch me here, where I'm safe._

_Thump... Thump... Thump..._

_I'm getting scared now. I stood up and turned on the lights, filling the room with light._

_I'm safer in the light. I turn around and see 'it' on the bed. Sitting there, tail hanging off the edge, dripping with blood, swinging from side to side in slow motions, it smiled a feral smile on it's face. It's eyes were wild, crazed, dark and void._

_"W-what do you want? Get out!" I say._

_It's smile widens._

_'You've been a naughty boy,' it speaks for the first time. But it doesn't have a single voice. No, It sounds as if a thousand voices at once. Loud, whispering, crying, yelling, desperate, mad._

_"I have done nothing!" I yell and started to back up._

_It jumps off the bed and stalks slowly after me, like a predator cornering it's prey._

_'You should have ignored me and gone to sleep.'_

_"But, but!"_

_'I'm not meant to be noticed, or acknowledged. Unless it's your time, you're not suppose to search me out. But you did. It's your own mistake. I'll be taking you early.'_

_"Who are you?"_

_'I... am Death.' The voices were now screaming in agony._

_It flew, faster than my eyes could track. All I saw was a razor sharp, blood soaked tail aiming for my throat before there was a slight stinging pain before relaxation._

_I feel peaceful. I am peace._

_I see you now, in black tattered robes, your tail looking so much like a scythe._

_'You are Peace. I am Death. You bring pleasure. I bring pain. You know what to do.'_

_"I know what to do."_

_'I bring Death to those who deserve it.'_

_"I bring Peace to those who deserve it."_

_'Together, tail in hand, we shall balance the world.'_

_'Because we are one.'_

"The end," N finished with a sigh and a nostalgia smile on his face. "What did you think?"

"It was... interesting... " _'What the hell were Anthea and Concordia thinking reading him that crap? I'm surprised he's not mentally deficient!'_

"Really? I'm glad you like it, It's one of my favorites! Would you like to hear another?"

"N-no, I'm fine, thanks... " _'Now there's no way I'm not going to have nightmares tonight,' _Touko mentally groaned, wishing she could stay up all night and sleep during the day. When it's light out. When she'll be safe.

N gave a small shrug and flips to a different page, continuing to read.

Touko chuckled nervously to herself and snuggles deeper into the bed, getting comfortable for sleep. Or what she hope she would get.

Minccino yawned from the foot of the bed and crawled up to lay in between the two, but sticking much closer to Touko.

N glared at the little rodent from the corner of his eyes, knowing that it was just trying to torture him in a way that he could do nothing about.

To help him with his now ruined night, the king continued to read more stories from his childhood book before falling into a peaceful slumber, unaware of the teen beside him, groaning, twitching and whispering _'Nooo... blood... hnnnng...'._

. . .

The next morning, N woke up to find Touko on the floor, passing a Pokeball between her and the Minccino. What he didn't notice was the dark circles under her eyes.

"Good morning," Touko practically moaned, giving the king a small nod in his direction.

"Morning," N responded, doing a full body stretch and cracking a few bones in the process.

A sharp knock at the door sent Minccino to dive under the bed, Touko grabbing the Pokeball to shove under the blankets and N to drape the sheets over the edge of the bed so that it covered the view from the door. From that view, you could see a little bit of what was under there and the king wasn't taking any chances.

Waiting for a long moment to pass, N got up and tried to calm his beating heart before opening the door.

A Shadow Triad member stood on the other side, his eerie eyes stared at his king before swiftly moving to Touko on the floor.

The petite teen felt a shiver going down her spine once she got a good look at how cold the ninja's eyes were. Cold, and almost dead like.

The Shadow Triad scanned the room slowly before returning his gaze to the younger male in front of him. He held up a glove covered hand, which held a few letters.

"Thank you," N thanked his father's henchman, taking the envelopes and closed the door.

Touko released a breath, one she didn't know she was holding before calling Minccino to come out.

The little creature crawled out and jumped onto the bed, waiting for Touko to join him before snuggling by her side, ears flicking once in awhile, listening to see if anyone else decided to make a surprise visit.

"Mincccino is on high alert now," Touko frowned, noticing the hair on the Pokemon's tail rising.

"I'm not surprised he didn't hear the Shadow member. Those guys are really sneaky. It's what they do best."

Touko hummed lightly and leaning back against the headboard, trying to relax.

N came over and sat on his side of the bed, opening the envelopes and reading through them. After five minutes of sorting through most, he just sighed.

"Nothing important today, only people asking to schedule an appointment to discuss some minor things- oh, here's one from my dad,"

The king blinked owlishly at the letter. Usually if Ghetsis had something to say, he'd make his presence known and say it.

N opened the letter and started to read it out loud so Touko would know what it said as well, feeling like he didn't need to hide anything from her.

_'N,_

_I haven't been to Liberty Garden for a few days because I have been busy at the castle with business with the other Seven Sages._

_I have planned a Masquerade Ball tonight at Royal Island. It is a huge charity event that will now become a tradition we do every year. During these events, you'll meet all the big company executives and you will get on good terms with them. They will be the ones we depend on to fund our activities._

_Of course we'll be holding other charity balls during the year, but those will mostly be for people to listen to your speech of how Unova is so much better without Pokemon being treated as slaves and to convince more people to see reason._

_Oh, and hopefully hire some new Plasma members._

_Back on track. Set aside all appointments and meetings you have this evening and be at the ball at seven. You can also bring the little pet you always have around you. But she has to participate for involvement. I've personally gone out and picked out a Pokemon themed outfit for her to wear. It'll be in your office._

_Don't be late._

_Ghetsis.'_

N finished reading the letter and blinked in surprised. Touko was glad she wasn't the only one to be shocked.

"So he got me... an outfit... himself?"

"It appears so."

"Can I come with you to the office and try it on?"

"Hmm... nope!"

"Eh, why not?"

"I want to see it first."

"That's not fair," Touko huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I know, but I'd like to see your face when you see it first."

Touko tried to whine but it had no effect on the grinning king. Instead, she imagined wearing a sexy number, perhaps the Dratini gown she saw in Ferrow's Fashion Magazine, or the Purrlion two piece from Luvdisc's Boutique.

"Trust me, when you feel the suspense build up, it'll be more exciting when you see the outfit tonight." N's smile was teasing before he got up and headed towards the bathroom. "I'm going to wash up and head to work for half a day."

"Fine, fine."

Touko began to pace around the room, already bored out of her mind when the day had barely started. Until an idea popped into her head.

'It won't hurt to ask, but I have a feeling his thoughts will spiral out of control.' The teen mused dryly and leaned against the bathrooms door frame. Of course she wasn't innocent in the calm thought department, either. Lately, she couldn't even think with N around, it was driving her insane.

Touko nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of a door opening and the king was scared half to death by the jumping figure.

"W-what are you doing, Touko?" N questioned, laying a palm against his beating heart. He spared a quick glance around the room, making sure everything was in order.

"I just wanted to ask if I can visit Hoshi until you get off work."

N felt the blood running through his veins prickling and going cold. He was on his way to the closet but froze, not turning around to face the young woman.

"Why do you want to see him?" The king tried to keep his voice natural but couldn't help keeping all of the disdain out. Hoshi was now his friend, but that didn't mean he still wanted Touko hanging around him without himself present.

"Well there's nothing to do until you finish your duties. I'll be so bored here, so I thought perhaps I can hang out with Hoshi."

"You could read... "

"Read novels I've read at least two times, each."

"But why Hoshi?" This time, N couldn't help the whine in his voice.

"Why not?" Touko resisted the urge to smile at how cute he sounded. "He's a friend of ours and I haven't seen him since we went stargazing."

N stayed silent for a moment, having a inner battle with himself. He thought for a second to bring Touko to the office, so she wouldn't be anywhere near Hoshi but he knew that was highly impossible. He was going to be extra busy squeezing in all the meetings he could today while calling out to reschedule on his breaks.

Touko suddenly appeared in front of the king, her lips slipping into a pout, eyes widening and brows furrowing. 'Oh my God.. she looks like she's giving a Lillipup look..' The king bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

N started to shake a little before bending down, placing his lips softly onto Touko's. She gasped in surprise before closing her eyes, returning the chaste kiss. She clutched the front of his shirt tightly, fearing her legs might turn to jelly any second.

The king pulled back first, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. He had his hands running up and down petite woman's sides, loving the way she would jerk slightly after running over a sensitive spot.

"D-don't distract me," she mumbled, a light flush dusting over her cheeks.

"But you're so cute when flustered, Touko... " He breathed her name out huskily, bringing his hands down to rest on her hips.

"Flattery won't get you anymore," Touko murmured leaning forward so that she was resting on N's chest.

N chuckled and brought a hand up to run through his friend's auburn locks. Touko sighed in content, closing her eyes for a long moment before snapping them back open. 'I can't be seduced at a time like this!' She thought, apprehensive.

"You've successfully distracted me."

"Not long or effective enough," N sighed and pulled away, walking over to the closet to pull out some business clothes.

"Well," Touko crossed her arms across her chest and raised a single brow. "May I see Hoshi until you get off work?"

"Yes, fine. But he's working today, so Minccino will have to stay in the room or the Pokeball. There's video cameras everywhere."

"Seriously? I was hoping to show Hoshi my new friend." The petite woman frowned and walked over to the small Pokemon, stroking the soft fur while speaking in a slightly high pitched voice. "Hey, little guy. You're going to have to stay in the room today. Best to stay under the bed so no one else surprises you."

The Minccino rubbed against the hand that was petting him, mewling before jumping down onto the floor and going under the bed. Touko grabbed the pokeball and rolled it under with the Pokemon, just in case he wanted to play or go inside.

"Alrighty, then. I'm going to see Hoshi now."

"Are you going to shower first?"

"I'll shower before the party, since showering twice a day is a pain. My hair is thick, so thus it takes much longer than normal to dry."

"I have a blow dryer."

"Those takes time."

"But don't you care how you look?" N wanted to stab himself in the foot with one of Lucario's spikes. 'Why am I trying to help her look presentable for Hoshi?'

"On special occasions I'll care. But I don't really mind what the world thinks of me. I'll only keep those close who don't care about my appearance and the little things."

N frowned at that, thinking it was so weird that she didn't care what others thought about her, while he had to watch his every move, calculate what effects his motives will have, only because he has been under a microscope since the moment he was born. While he had to watch the stones he stepped on, Touko jumped on them randomly because even though they could both fall, she would be the only one to get right back up and carry on without having to worry. N felt jealous.

"Are you trying to tell me something?," she suddenly asked, turning around to face the king properly.

"Eh?" N blinked his eyes in confusion at the red faced teen across the room, brows furrowed.

"Are. You. Trying. To. Tell. Me. I. Smell?" Touko lifted her arm to get a whiff and tried the same on the other.

"N-no! Of course not!"

"Then why bring up showering? Did I smell horrible last night?"

"No!"

"Bad breath?"

"No, no!"

"N, you're going to drive me insane! Tell me!"

" 'I want to wash those soapy suds from your body!' " N froze, jaw dropping.

Touko stared at him, face blank, eyes wide.

"Are you... quoting that damn book, again?"

Stupefied, N nodded, not knowing what else to say or do. Touko huffed, crossed her arms and tapped her foot repeatedly. 'Female rage! Darrien, help me!' The king thought helplessly, thinking along the same lines as the lead male in 'Masterball her Heart' - Females are super sensitive about these kind of things.

"If you're done insulting me of my bodily odors, I'd like to leave now."

"Yeah... sure... have fun..."

Touko sent him one last glare before spinning on her heel and marching out of the room, back straight, arms swinging back and forth swiftly and head held highly. N waited until the door was closed before collapsing onto the bed in shock.

The king never thought his friend would flip out about stuff like this, especially after she said she didn't care what the world thought about her. 'But it bugged her when I said something about her. Would she have taken a shower if I said she smelled? If she did, then that means she would do it for me and not Hoshi...' The thought made him grin broadly.

If Touko cared about what N thought of her, then it was a plus for him. A huge plus, because the petite woman had a strong head on her shoulders and it meant something when she cared about what N said about her.

"Right!" The king hopped up from the bed, suddenly feeling like he was overflowing with energy. "Time to get to work!"

. . .

After closing the door none too gently, Touko continued to stomp her way down the hall, ignoring the curious looks from Plasma grunts. Instead of going to see Hoshi, all she really wanted to do was go back to the room and scrub herself clean.

'Was he lying? Do I smell bad?' She resisted the urge to sniff her underarms again and bit her lip. 'Maybe he just wants me to smell bad while with Hoshi? But no, he's much too honest for that. If I smelled, he would have said something. But why, no, wait, ugh!' Thinking about it too much was starting to drive the petite woman crazy.

'I care too much about what he thinks of me.' Touko sighed in defeat and stopped a grunt that was passing while holding two boxes. "Hey, do I smell?"

Said grunt stopped to look at Touko. A confused expression crossed his face and he leaned in a little, taking a small sniff and shook his head.

"Are you lying?" She pressed.

"I have more important things to do then play childish games with someone like you." The Plasma member scolded and continued on his way.

'But I was being serious!' Touko mentally cried and started to drag her feet to the elevator. When the twin steel doors opened, she ignored the horrified looks she received, knowing her expression wasn't looking exactly pleasant. Stepping into the transportation, she pressed the floor Hoshi was working on and waited.

After half a minute, the elevator dinged and the brunette stepped out into chaos, a complete war zone. Plasma members were running all over the place, up and down the halls, in and out of rooms, all carrying various bags and boxes.

After a few minutes of trying to stop someone, one grunt finally stopped at her request.

"Do you know where Hoshi is?"

"Mr. Hoshi will be in room G - 107, just down this hall and to your first right."

"Alright, thank you." Touko slightly bowed and headed off in the direction the Plasma member pointed.

It almost felt impossible to move without brushing or bumping against someone. Touko didn't think it was possible to see so many grunts in one hallway at once. She could only hope and pray that the room her Plasma friend was in didn't have just as many members squished all into a square space.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the petite woman found bold black letters saying 'G - 107' on a golden door. 'Gold door... that means... this is an important meeting room, right?' She tried to think hard about the tour Hoshi gave her and the meanings to each door.

Without bothering to knock, Touko opened the door, ready to face on the mob of grunts but only saw a total of five sitting around a large red cherry oak table, including Hoshi who was sitting in a chair slightly bigger and more plush than the others.

Every pair of eyes turned on the brunette, making her freeze mid step through the door due to sudden nervousness.

"Touko?" Hoshi questioned, as if not really believing his friend was actually here. "Erm, come in and shut the door, please."

The petite woman did as she was told before walking to stand beside Hoshi, becoming wary when all eyes watched her movements like a Braviary. The Plasma member coughed, getting everyone's attention once again before continuing.

"As I was saying, we'll be going by team code names Plat one, two, three and so on. As the leaders, you'll have your own personal code names, which will be on these pieces of papers." He handed out the small piles to a person on either side of him.

The grunts shuffled through the stack of papers, looking for their names before handing off the rest to the person next to them.

"Memorize the names of you and your fellow Plasma members, as we'll be communicating with each other through ear pieces and tiny microphones attached to the collar of your evening wear. Once you leave, it'll be up to you to find your team mates and fill them in on their duties at the ball. Each of you will have to dress up to fit in but you'll all have specialized masks to wear so we'll be able to tell who's who. If you have any questions, please ask now."

A long blonde haired female raised her hand, her expression looked one of boredom but after squinting, you could tell she was actually tense, her stiff shoulders giving it away.

"Yes, Rozi?" Hoshi nodded in her direction, giving the young woman the approval to speak.

"What is she doing here?" She didn't bother to hide her curiosity or the slight disdain in her voice.

"Does anyone have any relevant questions?" He stressed his words, making it a point that Touko, was in fact, not relevant to this topic.

"Hmph," the female grunt huffed and leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "She is relevant. She came in without knocking and she now knows what plans we have going on for the ball. I say she's pretty much in on all of it."

Hoshi tiredly ran his hand down his face before turning to Touko.

"To ease this nosy lady's curiosity, what do we owe this pleasure?"

"Ah, N said I could hang out with you until the the ball but if you're busy... "

"That's 'King N' to you," another grunt, a male, hissed at her, hands slamming onto the table. "Don't show such disrespect!"

"I'm his best friend, I can call him whatever I want," Touko shot back and childishly stuck her tongue out.

"You're just a captive!" Another woman shouted, her brown curls bouncing as she stood up abruptly.

"Do captives spend their nights in their captor's bed?" Touko drawled, loving the way she was riling all these grunts up.

'It's horrible, I know, but it feels so good,' she couldn't help but think, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Quit your smirking," The blonde sniffed in distaste, turning towards Hoshi. "You're actually going to let this barbarian hang out with you?"

"This 'barbarian' is my friend."

The room fell silent as the Plasma members stared at their leader in this operation, blinking rapidly.

"So you're not just humoring her?" A male spoke up, glancing between the older man and younger woman.

"No. She is a good friend of mine, loyal. She is also on good terms with our king. So if you would all please hold your tongues, it wouldn't do well if our leader heard of this."

That shut everyone up for a moment before there were mumbles and mutters among them.

"Pull up a chair," Hoshi gestured for Touko to grab a empty chair and she complied.

After taking a chair from the other side of the table, dragging it so it was beside her friend, Touko sat and looked around. "So what's all the fuss about?"

"Usually at big parties, half the members of Plasma have to be present for security and protection. We just got this information about the Masquerade Ball on short notice so everyone is rushing to get costumes and supplies done in time."

"Really? I'm so glad you're going to the ball as well," she breathed a sigh of relief and Hoshi cocked his head to the side.

"You're going as well, I assume?"

"Yes. Ghetsis actually went out and picked my outfit for me."

There was silence for the second time in less than ten minutes in the meeting room, this time everyone had their jaws dropped open in shock. Touko started to fidget for a moment before sighing roughly.

"Okay, okay! It's a surprise to me too!"

"The greatest Sage of all Sages actually bought her... a costume?" The brown haired grunt questioned, her hand covering her mouth in horror. "What is Unova coming to?"

"Quit being dramatic," The blonde snapped irritatedly. "I bet it's nothing special, just some rags."

"Someones jealous," Touko couldn't help but comment but reeled back in her chair when the grunt turned to her, eyes filled with hatred.

"Jealous? Jealous? You get to sleep with our king every night, spend time with him all you want, almost as if you two are a couple and you're saying I'm jealous? You're fucking right I'm jealous!"

"Calm yourself, Rozi," A blonde male grunt commanded across from her, his sharp purple eyes slicing towards his partner's.

"But, Lithe!"

"Seriously, what would your father think?" The male that yelled earlier was calm again, getting bored of the conversation fast.

"Not you too, Saiga!" Rozi whined and sat in her chair, defeated.

Hoshi coughed loudly, gathering everyone's attention. "Now... please, if you have any.. ANY serious questions, tell me now."

There was a moment of silence before the lead Plasma member rose from his seat, the grunts soon following after.

"You're all dismissed. You're expected to be at Royal Island an hour before it's open to guests so you can map the area, check for bugs and take your post."

All four grunts saluted Hoshi and walked out of room with straight backs, the tension almost making it unbearable. Once they all left, Touko turned to her friend in awe.

"You make such a cool leader."

"Well," the Plasma member closed the door, sat back in his seat and slouched, now that he didn't have to be formal anymore. "It's one of the most tiring jobs. I've only had to do it two or three times."

"I think you handled yourself pretty well. I'm surprised you even stuck up for me."

"Well, you're my friend. I care enough for you that if anyone were to bad mouth you, I'd get angry."

Touko smiled and stretched her arms.

"So what was that all about? Those girls, especially the blondie."

"Well, it's no secret that almost all the female members simply adore our king. Rozi is the firebomb blonde, the brown haired girl is Maru. Rozi is actually the daughter of one of the Sages."

"... Really?" Touko blinded like a Noctowl before frowning. "So, because of that she thinks she deserves special attention?"

"Kind of. But she and her father have high hopes that Ghetsis will propose that N marry Rozi."

"M-Marry?" Hoshi smiled ruefully and nodded.

"Yes. That why she's a little uptight about you spending any time with the king. She has dreams of being by his side, as a wife, a queen, some day."

"A king does need a queen... " Touko mumbled, feeling a pang of numbness.

The petite woman knew she couldn't be that queen N possibly wanted her to be. She was most likely going to shatter him before anything like that happened. It was just impossible.

"Don't mind her too much. Rozi has a back up plan. If all fails, she'll go for Lithe."

"Glad to see she has it all figured out," Touko grumbled drly.

"Yes, well it's not going to go all that well. See, Lithe liked her at first, too, but Rozi practically voiced he was going to be played second fiddle. So now he's gunning for Maru."

"Maru... Is her father a Sage, too?"

"Nah, but she is childhood friends with Rozi, so there was a lot of influenced pushed onto her. She's gunning for Saiga."

"Wow. And Saiga is gunning for... ?"

"Me."

Touko felt her mouth slowly fall open in shock. Hoshi kept a straight face before cracking a smile.

"Crazy, right?"

"I bet there's non-stop drama."

"You got that right. Saiga knows I've got an expecting wife too. But he said he doesn't mind being a side dish." Touko snorted and gave her head a little shake.

"Wow. But I have to admit, Lithe is pretty looking."

"Say that to his face and you'll feel his ever lovin' wrath."

Touko broke out into laughter, one hand clutching her stomach, the other holding onto the chair for support. Hoshi chuckled along with her before he let out another tired sigh.

"If you're exhausted, why not take an hours rest, or something."

"There is much to prepare. Sadly, when you're a leader, you can't rest or show any weakness. It's the same with N, except more strict."

"That's true," Touko murmured, looking down at her hands.

"Are you really invited to the ball?"

"Yeah. Ghetsis sent the outfit to N's office so I won't see it until he's done with work."

"Interesting. Well, I sure hope you'll save a dance for me."

"Pfft, of course I will. Now, let me help you out as much as I can. Can't have you collapsing in the middle of our dance, it'd make me look uncool."

Touko found herself thrust into work soon after that, doing the small jobs while Hoshi took on bigger tasks. She sometimes found herself working with one or a few of the Plasma members she met earlier at the meeting, feeling the awkward tension building between each and every one of them.

It was especially bad when she had to help Rozi with something. That woman worked her like no tomorrow, such as carrying heavy stuff to one room before the blonde would declare that it was the wrong room and so the brunette was forced to carry the stuff to a different location.

The hours ticked by slowly, but surely, and it was finally five thirty, meaning the king was getting off work soon.

Touko dropped the boxes she was carrying for Rozi and bolted, ignoring the empty threats and curses thrown in her direction. She bolted into the elevator, ignoring glances from the other Plasma members standing with her.

Once at the top floor and alone, Touko let out an excited squeal and sprinted towards the bedroom, her heart thundering once she saw that the door was open.

'He's done!'

Skidding within the room, the young woman quickly found N standing in front of a large mirror, looking over the white crisp uniform he wore. She stood there, in the door way, watching the frustrated look he wore while trying to tie his gold threaded bow.

"Miii!" Minccino squealed, coming out from under the bed and jumped onto his masters shoulder, rubbing his face against hers.

"Oh, Touko," N spun around, a wide smile on his face. "How was your day?"

"It was alright, could have been better. Did you bring the gift Ghetsis got for me?"

"I sure did, it's on your side of the bed." The king gestured to the box sitting innocently on the plush blankets.

Touko let out another squeal before sprinting over, holding onto the little Pokemon so it didn't jolt off her in surprise. The box itself was plain brown but there was a light pink ribbon planted on top of it.

'Who cares about a ribbon!' She thought before flipping the lid open and lifting her outfit for the evening.

...

"What the hell is this?"

N burst out laughing, falling onto the bed while holding his stomach. Touko tried glaring at him from around her outfit but it was just too... too...

"Dammit, N!" The brunette chucked the outfit at the king, causing him to double over once again. "This isn't funny! I was so looking forward to wearing something sexy!"

"S-s-sexy! AHA!" N's face started to turn red from laughing too much and he tried to calm himself down but another look at the piece and it sent him into another fit of giggles.

"I'm going to kill that man when I get the chance," Touko muttered, snagging the costume back before heading towards the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower, since I smell. Hmph."

The young woman swore that while showering, she could hear N pounding on the walls with muffled laughter following after. 'Oh, how I wish I could chuck something hard at his head,' she thought before rinsing all the suds off her body and out of her hair.

Within twenty minutes, Touko came out.

In a full body, fat Audino costume.

N began to crack up again and Touko couldn't take it anymore.

"Audino, use body slam!" She ran, jumped and landed directly on N.

"Oof!" The wind was knocked right out of the kings chest once his body collided with the floor, and despite feeling a throb of pain, he still couldn't stop laughing.

Touko gave a shout of a war cry, got up and body slammed the king again, this time flailing her arms and legs around.

"Y-your flopping around like a S-Seaking!"

"I'm going to murder YOU!" She started pushing his cheeks together, causing his lips to pucker, then pushing down, making them stretch. Yet no matter what Touko did, N couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably.

Ten minutes later, with mild abusive body slams, N had finally settled down.

"It isn't so bad, Touko." N tried to reason but could picture the teen scowling underneath the costume. "He said that having a Pokemon mascot attending the charity events will most likely improve moods. He also said you can act stupid and goofy, as long as people are having a good time."

"What if I want to have a good time?" Touko sniffled and crossed her arms.

If there was something Touko loved, it was socializing and getting to meet new faces.

"I can always ask my dad if you can do this for half of the ball, then switch to a normal dress for the second half, but I think he's dead set on this."

"And if I don't want to go?"

"You're seriously asking that?"

"Who am I kidding," Touko sighed and sat on the bed. "I've been dying to get out."

"Then it's all settled. I'll tell Concordia to bring an extra dress though, just in case."

"Okay, thanks."

"No problem. Now, shall we leave."

"Yeah."

Touko stood and followed N out of the door and down the hall. She noticed Reshiram hovering outside an open window, it's head rising once it noticed it's master coming towards it.

"Riding Reshiram? I thought we would take the boat."

"Nope. Everyone else is taking the boat. But as the king, I have to land in style, or so my father says."

"Huh." Touko mused, before climbing onto the window sill, ready to leap on Reshiram. If the costume ever let the big butt go through. "This damn thing. And don't you dare laugh again."

There was a light chortle before N pushed the Audino's behind so Touko was able to jump onto Reshiram before he followed. He gave the legendary Pokemon a command, to fly to Royal Island, the large dragon screeching before flying off.

Touko was grateful for the burst of wind because it was starting to boil inside the costume.

Within ten minutes, there was a view of Royal Island, a boat arriving to let people off before going back to Castelia City. The guests were all in groups, socializing while others were dancing to the classical music being played.

"Ready?" N asked, a small smirk playing on his lips.

Touko lifted a paw while nodding her head. The king may never know, but the young woman was actually flipping him off.

. . .

A/N: Oh, Touko, you're so phat! Hope everyone enjoyed a chapter that's twice as long than my usual chapters! Whisper me your thoughts! ;D

Big thanks to my Beta, BlackRose105!


	15. Chapter 15

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Fifteen.

. . .

The Masquerade Ball on Royal Island turned out to be a success. Many people were still arriving on the Royal Unova, dressed in expensive looking gowns, tuxedos and original custom made masks. Most females stayed in groups, gushing about the grand architect of the dome the ball was being held in while the men surveyed the expensive paintings and vases located randomly around the room, and quite a few couples were doing traditional Unova dances in the middle of the room.

But not just anyone could get into the party.

Special invitations were sent out by Ghetsis himself. And with those special invitations included one extra invitation, just in case his guest wanted a friend, or a partner to tag along to the event.

With the king of Unova entering the door, there was a hush silence over the large crowd and the music stopped playing.

"Ahem," Ghetsis cleared his voice before it was loud, booming. "Welcome, the king!"

Everyone who had a glass of champagne raised their glasses, while others clapped lightly. N began to blush and raised his hand high before retreating it beneath the large white cloak. He unclasped it before handing it to the door man to take. He wore a white suit, pressed, black dress shoes and silver cuff links.

Touko was the next to enter and the large room was filled with light laughter and a couple snorting. There was whispers of 'How cute', and 'Adorable thing' among most of the women while many men smirked and shook their heads.

'Have the women seen the face on that thing? The Audino has a demented face!' The young woman grit her teeth in annoyance and followed closely behind N, trying not to bump into people closest to her.

"Don't worry, you're doing fine," N soothed, leading Touko over to where Ghetsis stood on one side of the room.

"Speak for yourself." She murmured.

"Excuse me? I didn't hear what you said." He leaned in closer.

"I said SPEAK FOR YOURSELF!" N reeled back and shook his head.

"Okay, I advise you don't talk because you have to practically yell for someone to hear you."

'Great,' Touko thought dryly and crossed her arms.

People tried to get close to the king, either to shake his hand or just to admire him up close, but the Shadow Triad quickly surrounded the young man, backing off any brave advances from others. One member of the Triad even got behind Touko, to usher her forward when she started to fall behind. 'It's not my fault that this suit is hard to walk in.'

When the two young adults stood in front of Ghetsis, the older man couldn't help but smirk in Touko's direction. "That costume suits you. You should wear it every day."

The petite woman in the fat costume refused to rise to his taunt and instead turned her back on him. The great sage glowered at the back of the costume for a moment before turning his attention to his son.

"I trust you know what to do?"

'Business, as always,' N thought before giving a slight nod. "Yes. I'll make sure to socialize plenty tonight."

"Perfect. A great place to start out is over there, at that small group of people standing by the grand stairway."

"Why start out at such a small group?" He questioned, giving a small tilt of his head.

"Because they are at the top of the chain in the business world. One is in control of the media, another is in control of the entertainment system, of course Mayor Biggie is in that circle and Nurse Joy is attending, although I heard she was practically forced to come."

"Forced?"

"She is one of the people who is strongly against the idea of banning all trainers from having Pokemon. She is probably the only person you'll have difficulty gaining favor from, so be wise and witty with your words."

"Okay," N nodded in determination and began to walk over. "Let's go, Touko."

"Yes, run along chubby little Audino, and don't cause a scene," The great sage snickered before whisking off to talk to some other members of the party.

Touko felt the need to go and body slam the old fart but chose to follow closely behind N instead. The group of four instantly opened up a space for the king, each reaching out to shake his hand before going straight into business and politics. Nurse Joy, though, stayed quiet most of the time and put in her two cents when needed.

Touko noticed the older woman staring at her often and tilted her head to the side. The nurse blushed when she was caught staring before smiling warmly. The younger woman bowed her head in acknowledgment before listening on in the conversation.

"Blah, blah blah," One male said, gesturing to the king.

"Blah blah, a blah blah," N responded and gave a small nod.

'Blah! That's all I hear from them!' Touko mentally whined when she couldn't understand the topic the men and women were talking about.

"Hello there, Audino. Would you like to dance." Nurse Joy stood by the younger woman, a friendly smile on her face.

About to respond with a quick 'yes', Touko forgot she couldn't speak, or yell while wearing this costume. Instead, she nudged N's shoulder until he turned his attention to her.

"Yes, Touko?" N asked and she pointed to the other women

"Oh, I was wondering if I could dance with the Audino." Nurse Joy stated.

"You don't want to join the conversation? We're talking about banning all cartoon shows involving Pokemon and changing them to something more Pokemon-free."

"No, thanks," The older woman said, feeling a bit sick to her stomach at the topic. "I've had enough with business talking for now. I'd like to dance for awhile to clear my mind."

"Um, alright then. Yes, Touko, you can dance with Miss Nurse Joy, and anyone else who'd like to."

The younger woman practically jumped with glee, finding that being in this costume may not be all that bad, until she heard N speak the next sentence.

"But when you see them, you can't speak to them. You'll be watched closely for any sudden movements their way. Strict orders from the great sage, Ghetsis." He frowned sadly before turning back to his future business partners.

Touko didn't know what he was talking about until she twirled around, swiftly scanning the room until her eyes landed on a group full of shattered angels.

Three males, all about the same height, features almost a copy of one another except for their eye and hair colour. Cilan, Chili and Cress.

Next to the blue haired beauty stood a proud woman, arms crossed and astern look on her face. Lenora.

Burgh was on the other side of the busty gym leader, looking bored yet his shoulders were stiff and tense.

Elesa looked equally as bored across from him while wearing a dazzled designer dress that had most jealous women in the ball gossiping non-stop.

Clay didn't bother going formal and used his usual attire of cowboy clothing. He was sitting on a chair while munching on refreshments, trying to make a big mess as possible around his area.

Skyla stood beside the model, wearing a simple dress yet she still looked stunning. Her blue eyes, with light flicks of aqua green, darted around the room, always on high alert.

Brycen was leaning the wall, arms crossed and eyes closed, but he was listening closely to those around him, also on high alert.

Iris was facing Drayden, both talking quiet while taking quick glances towards the Sages, who were all scattered around the room, talking to different people, no doubt shining light on their views.

None of them wore masks, as if it was a sign, a black mark, that they are not to be socialized with. Either that or they were rebelling. People surrounded them taking pictures with their cellphones.

"It's rare to have all the gym leaders in one place at once!" Someone trilled loudly, excited.

Touko couldn't remember how to breathe. Standing in the same room was people she actually knew, people she hadn't seen in almost a year. And without another thought, she took a few steps towards them before a hand grabbed hold of the Audino's ear.

"You aren't suppose to go over and talk to them, remember what the king said?" Nurse Joy smiled shy, almost sympathetically before releasing her hold.

Touko swallowed, taking one longing glance at the gym leaders before turning around to follow the older woman to the dance floor. The younger woman took the lead of the male, not doing a full bow in case she knocked over the other, while Nurse Joy curtsied and took the female lead. The two began to dance, having to be extra careful that the Audino costume didn't hit anyone.

After long minutes of silence, with Nurse Joy chewing on her bottom lip nervously before saying what was on her mind.

"You are... 'the Touko', right? The hero who fought along side Zekrom, the legendary dragon?"

Touko felt her heart thud heavily in her chest that the older women knew exactly who she was, but felt a harsh pang at the name of her lost Pokemon. She nodded her head furiously and Nurse Joy's mood brightened immensely.

"I was rooting for you! News got around quick what was happening because the weather shift. Two powerful legendarily Pokemon that use to be one can do such things. Of course many reporters tried to go catch the battle on camera but were denied access to the castle."

Touko tilted her head in confusion at how someone could have the knowledge of what was happening just because of sudden weather changes. Nurse Joy caught on and quickly shook her head.

"No, no. Two gym leaders, Burgh and Iris spoke of what happened. The others were pretty silent about it all."

Touko let her shoulders slump momentarily, thinking that everyone was disappointed in her, before giving the other women a spin. She didn't really know any traditional dances of Unova, she was just watching other people.

"I'm sure they know you tried your hardest. It's a lot to take in; losing your life long friends isn't an easy thing to face." Touko gave a slight nod of her head. "You have a full support team backing you up, even now!"

'Thanks,' Touko mentally thought, wishing Nurse Joy could see her smile.

"Don't feel bad. One day people will be able to own Pokemon once again, I'm sure of it."

'Yes, that day will come again.' Touko began to feel her spirits being lifted, happy that some people haven't given up on her, yet.

"The Pokemon Centers across Unova are allowed to keep their Audinos, only for the sake of Plasma's Pokemon recovery. It's a relief we get to keep them but we're also heavily watched by the Plasma grunts. There's at least ten stationed at every Center. Two are outside, guarding. Two are in the lobby, and one follows me since I'm the head nurse of all Pokemon Centers in Unova. Three are in the top level of the center, watching over the Audinos and two more are on security camera control."

"Shit," Touko cursed softly, glad that no one would be able to hear her. Things were much worse than she thought. She didn't expect so many grunts to be stationed at one Pokemon Center, so imagine how many will be at the gyms, a single town, or in a city?

The song came to an end and another started up. Touko stopped to see what other people were doing before Nurse Joy gave a small smile and gave a shake of her head.

"We don't have to dance anymore. Although the night has barely started, I'm already so worn out." Touko gestured to some empty seats. "I think I will sit down and rest a bit, thank you. But you don't have to sit with me if you don't want to. I know all about you being kept by the king. Go have some fun, I'll be fine."

Touko watched Nurse Joy make her way to the emtpy seats before turning to the crowd of people, dancing traditionally. 'Pfft.' She made her way over to a few couples, cutting in between them to dance with either male or female. Some instantly shunned her to get back to their partner while others laughed and humored her and everyone else.

The band that was playing the music was sending Audino dirty looks, but Touko didn't care. Instead, she put her 'paws' on her hips and shook them.

"Hubba, hubba!" She yelled out, 'causing more people to laugh around her.

A tall, slender male came up beside Touko, his dark blue eyes shining with mirth, onyx black hair slicked back. He gave Touko a smile and gave a bow.

"Would you like to dance?"

Touko pretend to curtsy and allowed him to take the lead. Instead of doing anything traditional, the male mocked the couples who were taking the whole thing seriously and spun around repeatedly a few.

"I was afraid that coming here would be boring but I was invited by my friend, Elesa, so I couldn't refuse her. But I'm glad you're here to provide such entertainment."

'He must be a model, or something, if he knows Elesa,' Touko thought while looking up at his beautiful face. 'He's too pretty for his own good.' In that moment she turned her head to see N... surrounded by a few girls, including Rozi.

Rozi went all out tonight, wearing a shiny Butterfree mask, her silk blonde hair was tied into a tight french twist. Around her neck was a fake Shelldar pearl, resting in the valley of her breasts, which were practically popping out of the tight purple dress.

The brunette recognized the designer dress from Le Frolic Deerling's fall clothing line, another high name brand along Ferrow's Fashion. The dress reached down to the floor but had a slit running up until it reached right above the knee.

Feeling the ugliest emotion, also known as jealousy, rise within her, Touko decided to take the lead from her dance partner and moved close to where N was standing. Once she was sure she was in his line of sight, she moved away, feeling a shit eating grin stretch on her lips when the king caught sight of them, his face darkening.

The other male started to struggle, trying to take the lead again but Touko knew she had an advantage with the costume and whisked them away. Not even a minute later, N was tapping the boys shoulder, a hard smile on his face.

"May I steal her from you, just for a moment?"

"O-oh! Of course, king!" The pretty male stuttered and backed off.

N placed his hand on the shoulder of the Audino costume and his other hand went to the... stomach, since the costume had no hips.

"Hmph. you aren't getting her back," N huffs and twirls Touko, making her slightly dizzy. "Who was that, anyway?"

Touko gave a halfhearted shrug, because she honestly didn't know. Perhaps she may have seen him in a fashion magazine somewhere, but that was it. The only thing she thought about was that they were both jealous. Her of the women surrounding him, and he of another male dancing with her.

'Glad the feeling goes both ways.' Touko thought, a tad bitterly, remembering how Rozi's breasts were practically spilling out of her dress.

"I talked to my father, and he said he'll allow you to wear a dress the second half of the Masquerade Ball, as long as you don't embarrass him or cause any trouble... like purposely bumping into guests." N chuckled lightly. Touko felt a swell of excitement at this proposal and promised herself to act more nicely.

The two continued to dance in silence, grateful for the people surrounding them offering more space for the king, because the costume would sometimes bump into someone if they got too close. All too soon the song ended and another played up. N stepped back,his hands dropping back to his side.

"I'm going to talk to some other people, involving business. I'm sure that wouldn't interest you, so why don't you go spend time with Nurse Joy, again? She looks bored out of her mind, sitting all alone."

Touko immediately saw right through him. He was trying to prevent her from dancing with anyone else, especially men, and that pretty boy. As selfish as he sounded, it made Touko feel warm all over, a smile lighting up on her face. She made her way over to the lone woman, who was still sitting in the same chair, an elbow propped onto the table, her chin resting on her hand.

"Having fun, Touko?" The nurse asked and the younger woman waved her arms up and down in excitement. The older woman laughed lightly.

Touko then heard another laugh, sounding every bit as fake and it was close by. But it sounded so familiar, so close to home even though she hadn't heard it for a long time. Almost afraid to turn around, but summoning up her courage, the brunette saw someone she thought she wouldn't see ever again.

Although the mask, a yellow Munna with small yellow dots painted on random places covered most of her face, Touko recognized that blond hair style anywhere.

"B-belle..."

Touko couldn't breathe, all she could do was stare. This wasn't a dream, it was all real. It wasn't a dream where she watched her friends' backs from the shadows, watched as they walked, moved forward. No, Touko was moving forward too, and all too soon she was standing behind the blonde woman who was talking in a forced happy voice at the people around her. She tapped her shoulder light and the other turned around.

"Oh, Audino! I saw you enter earlier. You bring such life to this party!" Her voice was still high pitched, fake. Touko almost frowned before remembering, 'She doesn't know it's me under this get up!'

Touko gestured to where Nurse Joy was sitting and Belle smiled. "How sweet of you, Audino! Of course I'll sit with you and your companion. My feet were starting to get a tad sore, as I'm not used to wearing heels." She trilled with forced laughter.

Touko felt a tad sick at hearing it and quickly guided her friend to where the older women sat. Belle sat down, taking an untouched champagne glass from the table and tilted the glass, taking a testing sip. She scrunched her face up and placed it back on the table before turning to the nurse, coughing.

"Hello Nurse Joy, how are you this evening?"

"I'm doing well, and how are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you for asking."

Touko didn't want to waste anymore time. She turned to the nurse, pointing to herself before pointing to Belle.

"Eh?" The pink haired woman tilted her head in confusion. Touko then motioned her 'paw' back and forth between Belle and herself. "Is she your friend?" She nodded.

"Am I?" Belle asked, a small frown forming on her face.

"Oh... oh! She is," Nurse Joy than leaned in close to Belle's ear to whisper quietly. "Touko. THE Touko."

"T- Touko... " The blonde blinked owlishly, not believing what she just heard and looked up at her friend, feeling the grief she felt for all those months begin to lift off her sore shoulders." TOU-"

Touko shoved her paw onto Belle's mouth, furiously shaking her head. This was bad. Belle was a major cry baby and if she started crying now while wailing out the other teen's name, everything would be done for. Nurse Joy helped by informing the hiccuping woman.

"You can't make a scene, Miss Belle! There is security all over and it's possible this place might be bugged. Miss Touko can't talk so it would be best to pretend to dance while you talk to her."

It took a moment for the blonde woman to get her act together. She took several deep breaths and after a couple minutes, she stood with renewed strength and allowed her friend to lead her to the dance floor.

It was silent for awhile before Belle couldn't handle it anymore and coughed.

"I'm sorry I'm not saying anything. I'm just trying to convince myself that you're actually here but it's hard when you're in... that."

Touko gives her a light pat on the shoulder in total understanding.

"Now that I'm with you again, I don't know what to say and I had a whole list of things to tell you!"

The brunette hugged her friend closer, cursing this costume, and Ghetsis, to the depths of the ocean. She allowed herself to finally cry silently in her costume, hot tears running down her face while she controlled her shoulders stiffly, willing them not to shake. She didn't want to worry her friend any longer.

But it was difficult. Dear Belle, her best girlfriend, was actually here in the flesh. All this time, the months she spent with N, happy and almost content, seemed like a dark sin infesting within her. She was living in a dream world while her friends fretted without her, in a world that turned unexpectedly scary with no warning.

"Oh, Touko, you have no idea how much we missed you. Touya rushed back from over seas after he heard what was happening in Unova. When he came to Nuvema Town, he was expecting to see you, but Cheren had to break the news to him. Touya was... pretty broken up about it, to put it lightly. Actually, he raged on for a long time, breaking things. You two were so close, he cherishes you deeply."

Touko felt her heart clench painfully the second time that night at the thought of Touya, her crush. No... her old crush. He looked more like a brother figure than ever before, but she still wished deeply to see him again, for him to hold her and say all would be well. Guilt was starting to ride heavily on her shoulders.

"Your mom had a couple of breakdowns before she was sent to the hospital. She was there a few months before she was allowed to come back home but she has to take multiple medications to keep herself stable. We make a couple visits to her, just to make sure she's alright with everything. There's about thirty or forty Plasma grunts stationed in Nuvema and sometimes one comes with us into your house because of the multiple visits, they think we're planning something."

This made Touko freeze momentarily, almost causing Belle to trip but she straightened up quickly, covering her mistake by twirling her friend... Everyone she cared about was hurting, all because of her, all because of N. She couldn't completely blame him because she was equally at fault.

"Did that surprise you? I'm sorry!" Belle apologized quickly and glanced around, hoping no one would take notice. "Burgh invited me. I almost declined but they were given a tip that you were going to be here! For sure Cheren and I would come here!"

Touko tilted her head to the side and tried to spot her glasses friend.

"Oops, I forgot to mention him!" She laughed cheerfully and Touko wanted to scold her, but was glad the laugh sounded genuine. "You actually danced with him earlier. He had to beg Elesa to give him the extra guest ticket she had."

'Wait... she means that attractive guy was Cheren?'

"Cheren had to put in contacts and gel his hair back because he didn't want anyone to notice him. He's pretty something under all that geekyness, huh?" The blonde chuckled, a flush of pink on her cheeks. "But that means... he also knew who you were! Hmph, he didn't tell me."

'I can see why. Belle would have definitely made a scene.' The brunette thought fondly before tapping the area around her heart, hoping Belle would understand.

"Um... Touya?" Touko nodded. "We begged him to come but he said he didn't think he was emotionally ready and that he had to take care of business."

'Okay, I admit, that stings,' Touko thought bitterly and bit her lip to keep herself from crying again.

"I asked Burgh where did he get his tip from, since everything is tight lipped about what happens at the castle and he told me a Plasma grunt gave it to him! I was sure that it was a trap but he said the guy spoke fondly of you, almost like a friend. I think Burgh said his name is Hoshi."

Touko felt her breath catch and suddenly understood. This was the moment Hoshi was creating for her, the moment where she could finally escape. The brunette didn't notice she stopped dancing until her friend spoke up.

"You finally understand. We were weary of this guy at first, but we were determined to check it out anyway. We came to help you get out, and Hoshi is planning a distraction at this very moment."

Belle grabbed the Audino's paw and squeezed until she felt Touko's hand. Smiling, the blonde started to lead them off the dance floor and look over to the gym leaders. She caught Burgh's eye and lifted her hand to flip her hair. A signal.

The gym leader started to head down a large unoccupied hall, having got blue prints from Hoshi earlier that day, hearing the other gym leaders' footsteps close behind him. Plasma grunts were starting to get uneasy at the action and slowly began to spread out, looking around to see if something was amiss.

Belle giggled. "Lights out."

As soon as the blonde spoke, all of Royal Castle's lighting went out, putting everyone in darkness. There were screams and squeals from the women while men shouted. There were sounds of shattering whine glasses, clattering of chairs falling to the ground and orders being yelled out from the Plasma grunts.

Touko felt her hand being tugged and sluggishly followed, trying to move through the throng of people mashing together trying to go in the same direction.

"What's happening?"

"It must be an attack!"

"I'm scared!"

"Let's get out of here!"

"We're gonna DIE!"

Touko suddenly snapped out of her momentary confusion and tried to block out the voices of panicking people. She lifted the head of the Audino costume, just enough so that she could speak to Belle properly without having to scream at the top of her lungs.

"Belle, what's happening?"

"Oh, Touko! It's so good to hear your voice!"

"Where are we going?"

"We are going home! Skyla has a private boat on the other side of the island for us to escape onto!"

"... " Touko honestly didn't know what to say.

'I should be excited!' She thought, and half of her was! She was going to be able to see Touya and her mother again. Everything could go back to normal, some what. Of course she would be forced to hide, since N would most likely have her tracked down and taken back to the castle.

N. All it took was his name and a image of his smiling face for the brunette to come to a slow stop, knees shaking and the feeling of needles pricking at her brain. Was she really going to do this?

"Touko, what's wrong?"

Breathing hard and making the most painful decision yet, Touko ripped her hand from Belle's at an odd angle, making it seem as if she was getting lost in the crowd. To make it sound more believable, she made a surprise scream and dropped her Audino head back down.

"Touko! Where did you go?" It was still dark and with people mashing together, it would be difficult to find one another.

"I'm sorry, Belle... everyone... " The brunette started to walk backwards but it was impossible with almost everyone heading in the same direction. "Looks like I'm going to have to switch tactics."

Dropping to the floor, Touko began to roll away, using the weight of the costume to help her. She felt herself knocking people over, or tripping them and wanted to scream out 'Human bowling ball coming through!'

When it felt like no more people were trampling around, Touko just laid there and waited patiently for the lights to come on. It seemed like an eternity had passed and she was about to let herself go numb, because she didn't want to feel a part of herself shattering, it would be too much to bare.

"TOUKO!" Came Belle's shattering cry before the lights flooded the room in brightness.

"Ah! There she is!"

"My king, she's right there!"

"Touko!" N ran to where his friend was laying, gently taking off the Audino head. "Touko, are you okay?"

The brunette blinked up at the king in surprise and was about to ask what he was talking about until she felt the wetness on her face. For the second time that night, hot tears streamed down her face freely. The hiccups came soon after and Touko quickly sat up, bringing her friend into a crushing hug.

"T-Touko!" N sputtered in surprise but returned the hug, running his fingers through her hair. "What's the matter?"

"I... I... " 'I could have went home, to my real home, tonight' Touko shook her head in the crook of N's shoulder. "I was stepped on a lot... It hurts."

"Aw, shh, you'll be fine. Let's get you out of this costume and we'll head home."

"N-no! I have... nothing on underneath... " She whispered shyly and N felt his face heat up.

"Okay, we'll just go home then."

The king helped the brunette stand and she was able to take in the aftermath of the party. Practically everything was broken, shards of glass everywhere, broken chairs and tables and abandoned masks lay everywhere.

"What a waste," Rozi muttered, already switched into the trademark Plasma uniform, tossing a Pokeball from either hand like a basket ball. "I didn't know they would strike so soon."

"You knew this was going to happen?" Touko whispered, staring at the other beauty.

"We knew it was going to happen, we just didn't know when." Lithe spoke up before his comrade could shoot a rude remark. "They weren't very organized."

"You got that right," Maru huffed, stuffing a Pokeball into her pouch and placed her hands on her hips. "This place is going to be a bitch to clean up."

"Now, now, Maru. Girls shouldn't use that kind of language," Lithe scolded lightly.

"Oh, go suck Rozi's tit." The brunette scowled, not like being told what to do.

"Hey!" Rozi whined.

"... " Lithe stayed silent, not wanting to go into the conversation any further.

"Has anyone seen Hoshi?" Saiga finally spoke, looking around the room for his love interest.

"He's patrolling the castle to see if anyone has been left behind, a possible convict." The blonde babe spoke, sounding bored. "But, hey, if you hurry, you might be able to find him in an empty hall way, if you know what I mean."

"Nng... " Saiga looked tempted at the offer but one look from the king made him stay rooted on the spot.

"Call your teams back here and have this mess cleaned up. Once you're done, you can return to the castle." N ordered and started to lead Touko to the exit.

"What about the sages?"

"They left once the lights went out."

"Oh."

Touko heard faint foot steps from the side and looked up to see Hoshi. His expression was one of surprise but it soon went to one of disappointment, confusion. It hurt for her to look, because she knew her friends probably wore the same face tonight at her actions.

It was silent for the rest of the way back to Liberty Garden Tower, except for N occasionally asking her if she was feeling alright. On any other day, she would have thought it was cute of him to dote on her, but right now she just wanted to wallow in disgust at herself.

'And I call myself a Pokemon trainer?' Touko almost snorted. 'More like a glutton for punishment.'

Touko welcomed the chilly air and the way it bit at her cheeks, making them turn into a rosy colour. N had offered her his cloak but she refused. He would send worried glances at the brunette once in awhile, until they reached their destination. Concordia was there opening the window enough for the two of them to jump through.

"Touko, you go first." N gestured towards the open space where the goddess was ready to help.

"N... if I were to fall, what you would you?"

"I'd catch you, of course." He said, confused, as if it was the most obvious thing to do.

"Of course you would." Touko smiled ruefully to the goddess and jumped through the window, denying any help the other tried to offer. N came next and he caught up with the brunette, a frown on his face.

"What was that question about?"

"Nothing serious."

"Are you thinking about suicide?"

"No!" 'Just a way to maim myself badly that I'll have to be admitted to the Pokemon Center and escape from there.' Touko thought dryly and bitterly. 'It's the least I could do since I just wasted everyone's efforts for trying to save me.'

"I think your lying."

"I'm not, N. I'm just... "

"What?"

"I'm selfish. I'm a very selfish person."

"That's not true, don't say that."

"You don't know me!" N stared in shock for a moment before he gave a small smile.

"Then show me you. Let me get to know you."

Touko stopped breathing for a moment before she tackled N, bringing him into another tight hug that night. Although he had some trouble breathing, he soothed his friend until she was ready to continue on their way to the room.

'He accepts me the way I am. It's a comforting thought, but will he still acknowledge me after I've escape?"

After they reached the comforts of their room, Touko headed for the closet, taking out one of the gowns and went into the bathroom to change. She kicked the costume into the corner, glad to be out of it once and for all and slipped on the paper thin dress.

She exited the bathroom to find N already changed and in bed, writing in a journal or diary. Once he saw her come out, he put the book away and pulled out his favorite childhood story book.

"Want me to read you one before you sleep?"

"No thanks... I'll manage." Her voice held forced amusement and she settled into bed.

Minccino mewled and came up right beside the brunette, tucking into the slope of her shoulder. She stroked the soft grey fur for a moment before looking over at N. He had put the book away and followed her example - tucking in early for the night. He stared back at her, his emerald eyes questioning.

"N... can you promise me something?"

"Anything." He answered without hesitating.

"Please don't turn out like your father." The question caused a single green brow to raise.

"There's no problem there. Can you promise me something in return?"

"O-okay."

"Promise me... you'll never escape." N reached over to run the pads of his fingers along the brunettes soft cheeks before catching a stray lock of brown hair. "Because if you leave me, I don't think I would be able to handle it. Just as the lights went out at the party, I got word that there were people there to kidnap you. I almost lost my mind at the thought."

He let out a shaky sigh before snuggling closer.

"I went mad. I was demanding every Plasma member to track you down but it was impossible with the lights off, so I ordered Hoshi to flip the switch back on. I broke two rules trying to track you down."

"... What rule?"

"Rule number one? Make sure the king has left the premises of the area and is safe. Rule number two? Make sure all Great Sages have left the premises and are safe.I defied both in the search to look for you."

Touko took deep measured breathes, not wanting to cry for the damn third time that night. This wasn't her, she wasn't a sobbing mess, she wasn't weak. But there was too much to handle, too much to take in. Friends, family, Pokemon, love, N... She wanted it all but she couldn't and it hurt.

"So please, Touko, don't leave me or I'll become a monster." N whispered, placing a soft kiss on the brunettes forehead before closing his eyes.

'I may as well be called a demon because I can't keep your promise. I'm sorry, N... ' Touko thought tiredly before allowing sleep to take away her suffering for the night.

. . .

A/N: Oh ho ho, Touko could have escaped but she didn't. N is starting to become more open and prehaps, vocal, with his feelings towards Touko. I got a nice surprise for everyone next chapter! C:


	16. Chapter 16

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Sixteen.

. . .

_"T-Touko, you can't leave!"_

_"N.. I have to.. "_

_"Please, don't leave me.. "_

_"I can't stay here any more! Please, let me go!"_

_"Touko!"_

_"If you don't let go I'm going to pee on your bed."_

_"But.. "_

_"It's just a thunderstorm! Hide under the blankets if you're so afraid."_

_"No, let me come with you!"_

_"Never!"_

"And that is how my morning went,"

"Touko, Touko," Hoshi sighed tiredly for the fifth time that day. "Do you know how impossible it was to create such a master plan in only a matter of hours?" He ignored her subject change, although finding it to be mildly amusing.

"I know, Hoshi, I'm sorry!" Touko apologized for the third time that day.

After that short humor filled event this morning, Touko had told N she was going to see Hoshi for a while and he granted her permission, still feeling bad about his friend getting trampled on the night before and possibly giving her a bladder infection. The brunette had quickly showered and gotten dressed in her t-shirt and shorts and hunted down the Plasma member, who was in charge of security that day.

"I thought for sure you would have escaped if you saw your friends."

"It was tempting, don't doubt that."

"Then what was the problem?"

"I just couldn't... I don't know."

"You do know, your just not telling me." The Plasma member crossed his arms and raised a single brow. "Spit it out."

"I didn't want to leave N yet! It seemed so soon, it all happened so fast. And I couldn't leave Minccino behind."

"Ahah! I knew it." The older male snapped his fingers together and turned his attention to one of the security camera screens. "When is it not going to seem soon for you? And of course it's going to happen fast. It'll have to if you're going to leave this- Wait, Minccino? You mean the Pokemon?"

"Erm, yeah, while N and I went on a picnic, he allowed me to capture a Minccino." Hoshi stared at the young woman with his mouth hanging open.

"He WHAT?"

"Shh, Hoshi! Shh!"

"Sorry! But.. what?" He whispered harshly, his hands clutching onto the chair armrest tightly.

"I don't know! This Minccino appeared out of no where and I started to feed him and we bonded a bit and N asked, out of the blue, if I wanted to catch him."

"What the he-"

"I know!" Touko groaned and rubbed her temples. "He makes me so confused. First he's all anti-trainer and now he allows me to catch a Pokemon, something he's strongly against?"

"Maybe his heart is messing with the way he feels about everything."

"I don't doubt that he has feelings for me, but how far deep do they run?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

"That's embarrassing," She crossed her arms and furrowed her brows, just the thought of asking something so personal made her shiver.

It was silent for a moment, neither knowing what else to say. The Plasma member was the first to break the silence, leaning back in his seat with a rough huff.

"Touko, for this to work, you won't be able to have a final good-bye with the king. You have to be prepared with what happens, no matter if you see him one last time or not."

"I know." The brunette sighed and sat beside the Plasma member, feeling tired even though the day just started. "How's your wife doing?"

"Nice subject change," He muttered halfheartedly and smiled. "She's doing great. Her stomach is swelling pleasantly."

"When is little Hoshi Jr. due?"

"Hoshi Jr. should be coming in three months," The Plasma member smiled widely this time, his face positively glowing. "Seira is enjoying motherhood very much, sending me letters multiple times a day, but I don't think she'll want to name the little guy "Hoshi Jr.", " He chuckled fondly.

"It must be nice," Touko murmured softly, wondering what her life would be like if she was in her late twenties or early thirties with a baby bump. Would she be glowing just as bright as her friend was?

"I hope you have your shot at happiness one day."

"Thanks."

Touko wondered if that would ever be possible. Could she really consider being happy without having her faithful companions by her side? Thinking about her Pokemon caused a longing ache within her chest and she quickly tried to banish the thought of them.

"You look like you're about to cry," Hoshi murmured softly, leaning forward in his seat to get a better look at the young woman's face.

"Don't worry about it, just thinking deeply, that's all."

"When you make such a face, I can't help but worry."

"Life is hard."

"No it isn't. Life is actually easy, you just make it difficult," he smiled and looked back at the many screens.

"Fine, oh wise one," Touko snorted and allowed her eyes to roam over the TV screens around her until she spotted the person she was searching for. "There he is."

"Who?" Touko pointed, making the plasma grunt sigh. "You're absolutely smitten."

Touko said nothing as she watched N stand within a meeting room. He stood tall, the large robe he wore was pushed to rest behind his shoulders and he had a serious expression on, looking to each one of the members that attended the meeting. Someone raised their hand and stood with a few papers in their hands as they read out something to their king.

N kept his face controlled through the speech but Touko could see his eyes flickering with emotions. She wanted to know what they were talking about and started to reach for the small button on the screen that would activate the microphone, allowing them to hear what was going on but a hand hovered over the button, protecting it.

"If someone finds out we've been eavesdropping on an important meeting, it'd cause problems."

"But don't you want to know what they're talking about? Even Rozi and Maru are in the meeting."

"I'll tell you but you can't storm out of here thinking you can change anything," he sighed and took a large sip of his coffee before getting comfortable. His ass was too numb for comfort. "Some of the Plasma members had requested for the kings time for an important meeting regarding his position and duties. And the topic is solely about you."

"Me?" Her voice raised a few notches and she coughed roughly to clear her throat. "Are you serious?"

"Very. Look at his face. Compared to all other meetings he has attended, he's been composed and poker faced. But bring on a subject about you, one that is in the negative, and it troubles him."

"If enough people complain, will he release me?" She couldn't hide the hint of worry in her voice and bit the inside of her cheek.

"I highly doubt it. If his followers are complaining about you to him, it's a huge mistake. He won't budge from the loose chains he keeps you on. From the way I see it, if he restrains you back into that room in his office, then you'll be most upset with him, correct?"

"Of course."

"Exactly. And it seems like he prefers to keep you in his bed anyways. But since Rozi is having high hopes on her dad proposing to Ghetsis that the two marry, she'll find any faults and flaws into bringing you down and out."

Touko worried her bottom lip, watching as the plasma member sat back down and Rozi stood, along with Maru, a couple sheets within their hands with the Plasma seal stamped onto the top. The blonde looked as if she held an air of confidence around her, back straight, shoulders back and head held high. Consciously, she tried mimicking her posture within the seat.

"If enough employers complain, the sages will be made well aware of the matter and action will be swift, you'll most likely be exiled if the king is against or doesn't do anything about it and he won't have a say in any of it."

"Would N tell me about all of this so I can hopefully avoid any more complications to his work?" She frowned, imagining all the possibilities of having to refrain from seeing him as often as she does. Would they only allow her to see him twice a week? A hour every two weeks?

"It's impossible. Since he's up high on cloud nine, that meeting and whatever they talked about are kept secret."

"If they're kept secret, why are you telling me?" Touko asked dryly, giving the older man a sideways, smug glance.

Hoshi remained silent for a moment, just realizing what he was doing. "I'm too comfortable around you," he muttered and zoomed a camera on in a grunt stealing some sweet foods from one of the kitchens. "And I'm only assuming here, so there's no harm in that. I'm just saying that all the times I've been on security duty, I've never see his expression waver like it's doing now."

Touko gave a halfhearted laugh but looked up to the screen again, feeling worried at the look on N's face. He looked to be struggling and she wanted to be there to ease the tension from his shoulders and say everything will be alright, even if it was a lie.

. . .

N restrained from picking up his load of papers and chucking them at Rozi's face. Before, the Plasma blonde has never really bothered him much. Sure she was annoying before, when she clutched onto his arm, or when she'd walk in front of him as if she was trying to hold an urgent bladder, or even when she ate with him and kept fluttering her lashes as if some dust got caught.

But this was taking it too far. Rozi had convinced most of the members to call for a meeting. He had known because some look uncomfortable, wishing to be somewhere else, while others had hard resolve set in their faces. Maru almost looked bored but the way she stood defensively beside her friend, he knew she felt the same way as the blonde.

"So," Rozi started out, leafing lazily through the papers she held. "These are all very good reasons, and I hope you'll go through them. It's important for us, as members, as your followers, to know that their king is heavily focused on changing the ways of Unova, sweeping it clean until all filth has been cleared out. And that includes things or people who are distracting you." She finished her well through out speech with a smug smile, pride swelling within.

"If you were distracting me, Rozi, should I have you annihilated?"

"M-my king! If you ever have a infatuation with me, then I'll gladly stand by your side and support all that you do!" She felt as if she's been swept off her feet by her love interest. The frustrated gleam in his eyes did wonders to her body, making it feel as if someone turned the heat up a few notches.

"That was an 'if' question, Rozi, I wasn't serious." But she was determined.

"Our fathers have known each other long enough, my king. Even Anthea and Concordia are used to having me around and serving me."

"They shouldn't even be serving you in the first place." N whispered, brows furrowing in confusion.

"I know, but your father has insisted that they start aiding me whenever needed. I just ask the simple stuff, you know. Fetch me food, fetch me this, fetch me that. It's all good." She gave a million dollar smile but it was wasted on the angry male in front of her.

"If anyone else wants to come forward and speak," he spoke slowly and calmly, making eye contact with every single member in the room, before slamming a fist down onto the table, his voice booming with power. "Then step forward and give me your fucking complaint!"

It was silent, everyone now looking at the king with fear edged into their eyes. Even Rozi and Maru had dropped back into their seats, their eyes wide, shoulders quaking. The king waited as the silence stretched on, no one daring to move, no one daring to speak until he sighed, gathered his papers and headed for the door.

"If that is all, you're dismissed and are to return to your daily duties."

Everyone scrambled to assemble their papers and folders together after their king left, the plasma members shouting complaints to Rozi, blaming her for the kings sudden outburst.

"Don't put all the blame on me! You guys felt the same way too!"

"Fuck you, Rozi. I'll be lucky if I don't get my salary cut in half!"

"No, fuck you, buddy! You should grow a pair of balls and stand up for what you think is right!"

"Chill your tits, bitch! Just because your father is a sage doesn't make you better than us!"

"How about you don't have a titty attack, huh? I'm only voicing what everyone has been so scared to do!"

"You think with your cunt instead of your brain, you hormonal little girl!"

"Aye!"

They all continued to squabble until they were forced to go their separate ways and attend to their duties. N had heard their bickering all the way down the hall and he almost felt compelled to fire them for bashing Touko, for their lack of faith in him and simply because the whole meeting just pissed him off.

He couldn't believe he lost his cool so easily, but once the first Plasma member spoke 'her' name and listed the 'problems' he 'saw', he just felt this overwhelming need to march over and show him exactly where his place was.

Those feelings alone shocked N, since he had never felt so much anger or resentment towards one or a group of people. But how dare they talk about Touko that way, especially Rozi. They had no right to bad mouth his friend. He was just going to have to be extra careful now because that outburst could land him in trouble.

The meeting had worked him up, and now the king felt sweaty and gross. He opted to take a shower before heading back to the office. He started making his way back to the bedroom, ignoring the salutes and nods he got from the Plasma members he passed until he got into his room and the door was shut behind him firmly.

"So, you finally make your appearance,"

"Eh, Touko?" N whipped his head up, seeing the petite woman sitting on her side of the bed, flipping through the latest fashion magazine and Mincinno perched on her lap. "I thought you were going to be with Hoshi all day?"

"I just came to ask if you want to have lunch together," her smile was sweet, too sweet, and it caused N to worry a little.

"I wish I could but the meeting this morning made me push all my other important meetings to this afternoon, and so I don't have much time. Sorry,"

"No worries. What was the meeting about?"

Malachite green eyes met cerulean blue and there was tension. "You saw in the security room."

"I did. But there was no sound."

"It was nothing."

"You looked really troubled."

"Don't worry about it. I'm going to take a quick shower and head back to the office."

"Fine," Touko pouted and pretended to be focused on her magazine while watching from the corner of her eye as N opened his drawer from his night stand just the tiniest bit, enough to slip the papers in before closing it.

He made his way to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Touko waited, her heart pounding fast, until she heard the water from the shower came on before scrambling to the other side of the bed and opening the drawer.

"Complaint... Miss Touko... Removal... Immediately, " Touko quickly read bits and part of the fine print on the paper, rushing just to get a gist of what it said. "Hoshi's right. The meeting was about me," she grumbled.

Curiosity suddenly kicked in and she set the papers on top of the night stand and looked into the drawer. It had N's bedtime stories, a thick leather journal and some odd candies. Pulling the drawer out more, she spotted five of his pokeballs just innocently sitting there.

"Wha, that guy only caries five of his pokemon?" She snorted and picked up a ball. "What do you think, little guy, should we call one out and see what it does?"

"Miii," Mincinno tilted his head to the side, watching with wide eyes.

"Ah ha, I can see you're curious too. Hrm, maybe Zoroak will come out of this one." Touko was prepared to shout for the pokemon to come out but remembered that N was still in the shower, so she coughed and lowered her voice. "Pokemon, go!"

There was a small flash of white light before Zebstrika appeared, looking around the room frantically, wearily.

"... Zebstrika! No... you were released... he said he released all of my Pokemon... "

The zebra like Pokemon spotted his owner and instantly whinnied in delight and almost tackled her to the ground. Touko let out a sharp bark of laughter, shock and felt pin needles scorching her head to numbness. She held her pokemon close while her heart continued to thud mercilessly within her chest. Tears rolled down her cheeks freely but they were tears of joy instead of last week, where she cried from the anguish of leaving her friends once again.

'Why?' The question raced through her head, only causing a million other questions to rise. She felt a little mind fucked, trying to comprehend the situation but any explanation that came up just confused her more.

The sound of the shower shutting off sent alarm bells ringing within Touko's head and she quickly called her Zebstrika back to the pokeball, promising to apologize once she saw him again, and she will, she would make sure of it.

Swiftly putting the ball back where to found it, shoving the papers back in and shutting the drawer close, Touko got back onto the bed and rolled over to her side, scaring Mincinno.

"Mii!" It cried in surprise and displeasure.

"Mincinno, you must promise not to tell N that I found my Pokemon, understand?"

"Mii," the little creature nodded in understanding before curling up on his masters lap once again. Touko picked up her forgotten magazine and flipped to a random page just as N came out of the bathroom, towel tightly wrapped around his hips.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, frowning. "You're crying."

"What? Oh!" She cursed herself for not wiping her tears away before he came out. "Yeah, it's just... it's so beautiful," she whimpered and held up the magazine to show him what she was randomly pointing at.

"A dress?"

"Yes!" Touko took a quick glance at it and saw it was a Butterfree inspired dress, thankful that it actually did look gorgeous. "The colors, the material, all of it's so damned stunning!" She added in a sigh for dramatics.

"W-well, if you feel that strongly about it, I can have Anthea or Concordia get one for you." N stuttered, surprised that Touko would even ask him for something, much less gush over clothing like a normal woman would.

"Oh, would you? Thank you, thank you!" She grinned and picked up Mincinno before placing him onto her pillow. "I'll go visit Hoshi again so you can get dressed and go back to work. Thank you, once again!"

"No problem, Touko. Ah, but wait. I would like something in return."

"Something in return?" She questioned but realization dawned on her when he tapped his lips. "Oh."

Shyly she stepped over, placing a hand onto his smooth chiseled chest and arched her heels to give her an inch or two off the ground. Touko closed her eyes when she saw him moving down to meet her half way, a hand snaking around her waist while the other tangled with her hair.

Their lips met and molded perfectly, she couldn't help but shudder, leaning onto him more. N swiped his tongue deviously onto her bottom plump lips, earning himself a gasp and entrance to the depths of her mouth. He was not disappointed when he was also rewarded with her soft pants, the feminine cries, and a small hand reaching up to clutch onto his scalp.

Touko felt lost and immersed with the hot kiss, her body beginning to burn with desire and passion. She suddenly wanted more from him. She wanted it all, the good, the bad, the innocence of him was enough to spur her on. But he was the one to break the kiss, chuckling at the whine in her voice.

"We can always continue later," he smiled down at her, adoration shining within his eyes and pride flowing through him as he took notice of her flushed face and swollen lips.

"Fine," Touko pouted. N couldn't help but nipping at the lip that jerked out cutely. "Ah!"

"I promise to satisfy your kissing needs tonight."

"Okay," she sighed and smiled at him, truly smiled, before turning away, grabbing the fashion magazine off the bed, saying good by to Minccino and leaving the room.

N reached up to touch his lips while staring off at the door. He didn't know if he was going crazy of not, but that kiss was different. It felt more intimate, personal and more touching. Something, an unknown feeling, swelled within his chest, making his heart pump faster than normal.

"I hope... I'm not getting sick," he whispered before turning towards the closet, picking out a new set of clothes for the afternoon.

. . .

Touko ran towards the security room quickly, bumping into a few people on the way and ignoring their threats for her being clumsy. She could care less what they thought at the moment, all she needed to do was get to Hoshi and let him know everything. Without knocking, she barged into the room, making her Plasma friend drop his chop sticks onto the floor.

"Touko," he grumbled, picking up the two pieces of wood and threw them in the trash. "Couldn't you have a more elegant entrance like you did at the masquerade ball?"

"Har har," she huffed and plopped back into the seat she was using only an hour ago. "So I talked with N. He went to the room to shower before going back to the office."

"Oh? And did he tell you what the meeting was about?"

"Nope."

"See, I told you."

"But I did snoop in his drawer and briefly read the papers that came from the meeting room."

"You didn't... "

"I definitely did."

"Touko," he groaned and ran a hand down his face. "If anyone found out, you could really be in big trouble. If it was anything top secret, Ghetsis would smite you."

"Well thank goodness it wasn't. It was only about me, like you said."

"Now why couldn't you have just believed me from the start and leave it at that."

"If I hadn't then I wouldn't have had the curiosity to snoop through his majesty's personal drawer." Hoshi looked at the brunette as if she was the most moronic person in the tower.

"Are you shitting me? You snooped through the kings personal belongings?"

"Language, language," Touko scolded but nodded eagerly. "You'll never guess what I found."

"I don't want to know."

"Yes, you do. I found my balls."

"... Your balls?"

"My pokeballs."

"Your Poke-what?"

"I know!"

"What!"

"Ah!" Touko squealed with delight and began to wiggle within her seat.

"Calm down, just calm-"

"You calm down."

"Hush! Just, oh my goodness... "

"It's too much to take in, I know."

"Do you know any reason why he lied about releasing them?"

"No, actually," Touko frowned at this, arms crossing her chest. "I don't."

"Then that's something to think about. It could mean anything, like... maybe he didn't plan on leaving them there that long or it may be a trap set up by Ghetsis."

"That's true," Touko frowned and slumped in her seat.

She thought back to the drawer, trying to remember all the things in there and a light bulb light up brightly in her head. The leather journal in there could hold the answers she's searching for, but even she felt that was too personal to look through. But she was certain that if he wrote his thoughts and feelings in there, then it must hold the information about why he held onto her Pokemon.

"I'll find out tonight."

"You got a plan? Mind sharing?"

"No, the less you know, the better. But I'll go to the room an hour before he's off work and find out."

"Alright, just don't get in trouble, please."

"I can't make any promises on that."

They sat in silence, monitoring the cameras, Touko fidgeting every once in awhile, itching to just go back to the room now and look through the journal but the stare she would get from Hoshi stopped such thoughts. It was literally driving her insane, having to sit there for many hours more, watching the Plasma people do boring stuff.

"Just pretend it's a movie; a lesson that we do every day normal stuff, just like you."

"Are you serious?" She asked in a deadpanned voice, a single brow raised in disbelief.

"No, but just try."

"Let's see... Oh, so that person right there," she pointed to one of the squares on a large screen. "Sitting there, sleeping on the job while having a dirty magazine out, or wait! Could it be that he's actually jerking himself off under the table?"

"Good grief," Hoshi grimaced and pressed a button to gain him access to the microphone to that room. "WAKE UP!"

The man on the screen jolted in his seat and was fumbling with the belt on his pants, a nice shade of red coloring his cheeks.

"You pervert!" Touko yelled into the microphone with a sickening sweet voice, just to embarrass the man further. It worked. He grabbed his dirty magazine and headed out of the room.

"You trouble maker," he grumbled and pressed the button to turn off the speaking object.

"Now, what would you do without me? Interesting movie, by the way," she snickered and started looking around for more people to torment.

The rest of the afternoon wasn't as awful as Touko thought it would be. Seriously monitoring the security cameras gave her something to do but every time her eyes landed on the screen where N was in his office, working or talking to someone, her thoughts rushed back to the Pokeballs.

'Why would he lie to me about releasing my Pokemon?' She thought desperately, trying to figure out N's purpose for keeping them. Of course it could mean anything, and she could take all the wild guesses in the world but none of it would be set in stone unless she got her hands on that journal.

When the clock hit seven o'clock, Touko bolted from the room, giving Hosh a half-assed 'goodbye' before dashing all the way to the bedroom she and the king shared. This time the Plasma members were wise enough to stay out of her way, but she hoped they were smart enough to not report her erratic behavior to their king. He would be all too suspicious and would probably check up on her to see what was up.

Upon entering the bedroom, Touko wasted no time shutting the door and dashing to N's night stand, ignoring the surprised hiss coming from Minccino, who was resting peacefully on her pillow. She opened the drawer, taking a few seconds to memorize how everything is ordered before taking out the journal. Opening up to the first few pages, she realized that he's been writing in it since he was young.

_'Summer 199X_

_Father has brought another Pokemon. The Pokemon is sad, it's crying and in pain. I feel like I can't do anything to help-'_

_She stopped reading, knowing it's not her place to read what happened in his childhood. Although he's briefly told her and her friends about him nursing the hurt pokemon his dad brought back, she never got the full story. So she skipped to the dates where he had captured her._

_'Spring 20XX_

_I finally entered the last battle with Touko. Seeing her and her friends grow on their journey was nauseating. I felt bad for the Pokemon trapped in their pokeballs. I'll never tell father, because he'll see it as a weakness and try to toughen me up, but seeing those trapped pokemon made me cry. I wouldn't show it in front of them but once I was alone, the tears would just fall._

_But they didn't care. After winning a pokemon battle, they would cheer and celebrate, calling their pokemon back to their prison. How cruel is that?_

_But seeing Touko determined to beat me for her dream was exciting. Her determination, her faith in her pokemon was overwhelming. Her pokemon, I heard them speak, how they had trust, so much trust in their owner. But after the battle they had to have realize trust wasn't enough for them to win._

_She looked so broken, bringing out another Revive, but I stopped her, I had to. Her pokemon were in so much pain and she could see that. But I would never tell her that her pokemon wished she would continue to revive them, just to please her. Pokemon are so unselfish, doing everything they can to please their master. But she was too blind to see that. She should have stopped the moment all her pokemon fell, they don't deserve to be in so much pain._

_So I decided to bring her home so she could show me how this friendship thing works. It has occurred to me that she wouldn't like it but I'm sure she'll come around. I won't admit it to anyone, but every time I met Touko with her friends, I felt a twinge of jealousy at how well they bonded. They make it look so easy.'_

Touko bit her lip at this piece of information. She knew that her pokemon were hurting, even if she continued to revive them, but she was surprised that they didn't hate her. They wanted her to continue to fight? Was it possible that they knew what was going on and how important the battle was to her, to every trainer in Unova?

Touko glanced into the drawer, still seeing the Pokeballs sitting there, waiting for her return. She swore she could feel them hum as if they knew she was near. It sent thrills up and down her spine. Did she even deserve such loyal friends?

With a little shake of her head, Touko flipped to the next page and continue reading.

_'Summer 20XX_

_I told her._

_I told Touko I released her Pokemon. She looked completely shattered, I had never seen such a look on anyone's face, not even when I ultimately defeated her for the last time. Such a look made me feel sad but I knew deep down that I was lying to her._

_I couldn't release my friends Pokemon. Even if it's everything I'm against, it's not my Pokemon to release. I couldn't do that to her, but I also can't let her know. She would have hope to get them back after I let her go. I told my father that I released them, though._

_He had demanded I hand over Zekrom, but I refused. He was upset, saying that the legendary dragon deserved to be free but I saw through his lie. so I told him it would be better to keep Zekrom under my care and tell everyone that, so they wouldn't question my authority. He bought it._

_I can't get Touko's face out of my head, her expression haunts me. But she's my precious friend.'_

Touko stared down at the journal, not realizing she was gripping it so tight that her knuckles turned white. She held back the tears and shuddered, trying to believe what she just read. So she reread it twice more just to try and figured out her jumbled emotions. A small part of her was angry that he kept this key information from her but the bigger part was happy, relieved she still had her friends, even if they have been stuck in a ball for long months.

She skipped to the latest entry which happened to be written three weeks ago, thankful that it was short.

_'Winter 20XX_

_Touko makes me feel weird things that I can't understand. My heart races, aches and flutters when she's near, when she smiles, when she does anything, really. It's a strain when I don't understand what my own body is doing or trying to tell me._

_Every night when we go to sleep, I feel warm and giddy when she curls up to me, her body so much smaller than mine. I didn't realize how different girls were until I met and got to know Touko._

_When she's near, I just have the urge to hold her close, to never let go. It's driving me mad every day. I feel like I'll implode one day if I don't do something about this feeling. I feel affection towards her and something else but I don't know the name for it. All I know if I just want her to be mine.'_

Touko inhaled sharply, slamming the journal shut and placing it back into the drawer just how she found it before storming towards the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. It scared her to know that N felt the same way as she felt about him. It scared her so much that she wanted to run away but she had no where to run to.

She knew the emotion that he couldn't name. She had been feeling it for awhile now and it was threatening to override all of her emotions, to forget everything. Touko wasn't sure if she would ever tell N about it though, not sure if it would be the safest thing. Would he let her go after that? Hadn't she accomplished more than just being his friend?

She stripped her clothes off with haste, stumbling into the shower and turning on the shower head so that it only ran cold water. She gasped at the contact and quickly shivered after that but the cold wasn't helping clear her mind. It did the opposite.

Touko sighed, defeated, and slid down onto the white tiled floor, shivering madly. Such a foreign feeling. Yet such a common word. The moment we claim to have "fallen", its' as if nothing else in the world matters. We are so consumed entirely by this emotion; this connection.

We've never been so close yet so far. We crave for every living, breathing moment with that person. You want to be their everything as everything begins to be such an understatement. Suddenly, every love song reminds you of them. Every time they intrude your thoughts, you smile to yourself knowing that that's where they belonged.

Though your day's been rough, in the end, it brings you back to them. From morning to night, all that could make it such a worth while day would be the thought of them standing at your side; ready to catch your fall.

Its' like looking out over an ocean - mysterious, yet tempting. You are willing to give away all you've ever known just to take a single step deeper. You are willing to drown in it if it meant that they would come save you.

Nothing feels more right. Nothing can be more wrong.

But its' a doubt we're willing to look past; willing to grasp.

People say they'd swim the oceans and search the seas to find a feeling remotely close.

We would walk a thousand miles, climb all the mountain tops, pour every ounce of blood left in our hearts if it meant that they would love you back. If they could want the same thing too.

Such a passionate emotion filled with hopes and dreams.

Such a foreign feeling. Yet such a common word.

"Love," Touko whispered.

. . .

A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the long wait! But I hope this chapter made it worth it! A HUGE thanks to SaitoKeita from DA for Beta'ing this chapter on short notice. I'm relieved that you agreed to help!


	17. Chapter 17

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Seventeen.

. . .

"Love?" Hoshi raised a single black brow.

"Love," Touko confirmed with a nod of her head and a heavy sigh escaping past her lips.

When N returned to the room a couple nights ago, Touko couldn't help but act robotic around him, confused on how to handle the load of information she absorbed from the journal she snooped through. She felt extremely guilty for invading someone else's privacy, knowing she would hate it if anyone did that to her, but when it came to the knowledge of her pokemon still hanging around, it made her act differently.

The king had asked multiple times if she was alright, which she replied with a stiff "I'm fine," before turning back to reading a novel she wasn't even reading. Everything was so jumbled up, she couldn't even think straight. Sometimes she actually considered just telling N that she knows about her Pokemon, so she instead decided to pinch herself until the feeling passed on.

"Well, I looked through his drawer again... "

"You looked AGAIN? Why? No! Why does he even keep his stuff locked? I don't think he has enough ba - guts to leave it unlocked all day."

"That's possible, but what if he wanted me to find them?"

"That's impossible."

"How so?"

"From what I know from working here, if he doesn't want someone to find out something, it's usually somewhere safe and tightly secure."

"I don't know... "

"Okay, then tomorrow morning, after he leaves for work, just try opening the drawer then. He probably wasn't expecting you to be there all day, thus the reason why he left the drawer unlocked."

"Fine," Touko huffed and flipped through some pictures Hoshi's wife sent through the mail of her bulging stomach, gifts their friends sent them and Seira's parents.

"So what did you find out?"

"In his journal - "

"For the love of... his journal again... " Hoshi murmured and began pacing back and forth in his shared bedroom, thankful his roommate hasn't returned yet.

"Yes, it said that he feels he can't release them simply because we were going to be friends."

"He cares about you a lot."

"I know, but just how much do you think he cares about me?"

"A lot, I an assure you. Once you came along, he sharpened up."

"That could mean anything."

"True, but you know deep down that ever since you started to get along with him, he's been doing better, going for a hundred and ten percent."

Touko bit her lip and flipped through a few more pictures, stopping to look at a picture of Seira holding onto her stomach, her face serene, soft smile and gentle eyes. She now understood a bit more why Hoshi saw beauty in this woman and bet that her personality was much more better.

"A beauty," Hoshi sighed, swiping the picture from the younger woman's grasp so he could stared at it up close. "I sometimes can't believe how lucky I am."

"Yeah, keep gushing in front of me, it'll make me feel loads better," she grumbled, shuffling the pictures into a neat pile before handing them back to the older male.

"Sorry," he smiled sheepishly, taking the pictures and placing them into a envelope. "But, do you love our king?"

"I... " she inhaled sharply and felt tears well up in her eyes. "It's not an easy thing to admit."

"At the moment. But you know somewhere inside yourself, you feel strongly towards him. Was reading the journal the key to that?"

"It was. As weird as that sounds, him keeping my pokemon simply because we were going to be friends made me feel happy. I just... I don't know what to do."

"Do you want to confess to him?"

"Sort of. But would he know how to respond? What if he thinks it's a way of saying "Best friends forever!" and then what? Because I highly doubt he's ever been in love with someone before."

"You got a point there. Maybe he's learned something from those raunchy novels of yours."

"They're not mine," she replied icily, glaring halfheartedly at her friend. "I suppose I have the thank the author of those damned novels, but his random quoting from the books sometimes throw me off guard."

"Oh, really? Name a few."

"Erm, no thanks."

Hoshi was about to reply with a mocking expression of their king but the sound of a door squeaking open stopped him. They whipped their heads in the direction of the door, seeing Saiga lingering out in the hall, staring at them with curious eyes.

"Ah, I didn't know you had company, Hoshi." The grunt spoke in a monotone voice, his eyes staying on Touko for awhile before roaming over the other Plasma member's body. "I was hoping to visit for awhile."

"You can come in, there's room," Hoshi murmured awkwardly, gesturing to the seat beside him.

Saiga closed the door behind him before walking over to the offered seat beside Hoshi. There was a long moment of awkward silence with Touko fidgeting in her spot on the other side of her friend.

"So, what were you two doing in here, alone?"

"We were looking at pictures of my wife. Here, have a look." Hoshi took the pictures back out of the envelope and handed them to his co-worker.

"She's beautiful," Saiga mumbled, looking through the pictures slowly.

"Obviously," Hoshi scoffed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"When is the marriage set?"

"Next year."

"Then, I still have time," Saiga smiled, determined to win the heart of the person he was infatuated with.

"Ahem," Touko coughed awkwardly and stretched her arms. "Well, I should get going so I can allow you two some alone time."

"Don't you dare," Hoshi whispered in her ear, his tone deathly.

"Or I could just stay here and bond."

"Woman are so confusing," Saiga sighed and put the pictures away. "But I actually didn't come here to lounge around. I was given orders to say that your day off will have to wait and they need you in the gold meeting room."

"Something important came up?"

"Yes. The great sage Ghetsis is there now, along with our king, Rozi, Maru and Lithe."

"Gathering the best Plasma team leaders, meaning something is up."

"Yes, it is very serious. I can't give all the details right now because there's word that it's confidential."

"I see. Very well then, you're dismissed. I'll be there in a moment."

"Sir," Saiga saluted and left the room.

"Do you think this meeting has to do with the meeting about me?"

"No, it couldn't be," Hoshi sighed and got up, heading towards his dresser to pull out his Plasma clothes. "For that it would take at least a month of meetings with all the Sages, debating the pros and cons of you being here."

"Well, that's a relief. I'll be going now."

"Wait, take these."

"Hm?" Touko held out her hand automatically and Hoshi dropped three small square packages in her hand. "What are- !"

"Be calm- "

"Condoms!"

"Shh!"

"Condoms!" She whispered harshly and clutched them in her hand tightly.

"Don't break them while they're still packaged!"

"What are you trying to tell me? To sleep with him?"

"Yes."

"Hoshi!"

"If you love him- "

"Oh, I do love him but sleep with him? I don't even know how to seduce someone!"

"It'll come naturally."

"This seems a little extreme... Why so suddenly?"

"It's a big step closer for you to be released."

"... "

"Once the deal is sealed, he'll see to that you trust him completely and he will let you go."

"How are you so sure about this?"

"Because he told his father that once you're good friends, you'll be gone. And if you're not gone, then Ghetsis will find a way to get rid of you."

"That's true, but what if he rejects me? Or finds my body repulsive?"

"Touko, when he sees you, he'll probably be speechless."

"I don't know if I'm prepared."

"It doesn't have to be today, it doesn't have to be tomorrow. Just take your time and don't rush things."

"Alright, but why three condoms? Are you saying his stamina will be up high?"

"Not exactly, I'm just being cautious."

"Alright, then, I'll talk to you later."

"Good luck."

"Thanks," she muttered dryly and stuffed the condoms into her pocket before leaving the room.

. . .

The next few days for Touko felt like she was walking on egg shells everywhere she went. She felt on edge and was jumpy around everyone. She tried opening N's drawer again but found it to be locked, which means Hoshi was right all along: N wasn't expecting her to be in the room that day so he left it unlocked.

The condoms in her pocket felt as if they were gaining a pound by the hour and she would unconsciously drag her feet along the floor. She was tempted to open one up and inspect it closely but decided against it, feeling as if there were eyes everywhere, even under the covers of the blanket. Such nerve wracking feelings was causing her to get less and less sleep.

Touko sat down on a chair in the hall way, slumping forward and releasing a tired sigh. Plans of seducing N ran through her mind every moment of the day and it was slowly driving her insane. How exactly was one suppose to seduce an innocent? Reading new raunchy novels Concordia had bought didn't help much either, because the main characters in those books were already hot for each other since they laid eyes on one another.

She ran many scenarios through her mind of how exactly she would seduce him. Perhaps show up in borrowed, sexy pajamas in his office and work from there and hope he wasn't in a meeting with any important clients, or maybe surprise him in the shower but there was a chance she would startle him thus he would slip and fall and die.

"Why does this have to be so difficult," Touko mumbled angrily and ran a hand through her auburn locks.

She continued to sit there, watching as Plasma members passed by, each having something they had to do. It was tempting to seek out advice from someone more experience but the risk of having it reach the ears of Ghetsis was too great. Plus, who would actually sit down and talk to her about this seriously? Hoshi only told her to seduce him but she hadn't the slightest clue where to start or how.

Asking Anthea or Concordia was out of the question. No doubt they would stand by their king's side twenty-four seven, holding up shields and swords to protect their lovely king's virtue. But what about hers? Touko wanted to save it for someone special, but she realized now that N was her special someone. She never felt this deeply for Touya before, never thought about sharing a bed with him, which only proves how much more of a child she is.

Touko slumped further into the chair and pouted against her will. Why was this so difficult? When she saw couples holding hands and being mushy, it seemed to come naturally, as if they were born with the skill of seducing but when she even thinks about trying to pull someone, she ends up pulling hairs to find out how to make her love interest hot and heavy.

"Pfft," she chuckled dryly and sighed, wondering what the heck she should do.

As the day wore on, Touko continued having little fits of frustration, nearly coming close to punching a wall to get rid of the rising anger within herself. Why did she have to be so inexperienced? Why didn't she pay close attention to sex ed in the Pokemon Center? Oh, right, because she was too busy with raising her Pokemon. How was she suppose to know that one day she would actually find someone she wanted to be with... sexually?

She took notice of the sun setting and frowned, realizing she wasted the past few days doing nothing but lounging around the tower, thinking so deeply into this thing when she could have been doing something productive. She would have to apologize to her Mincinno for rejecting him of her attention.

Touko got into the elevator and pressed the button that would take her to the top floor. With a soft 'ping' the doors opened and she stepped out and headed down the hall towards the bedroom she and N shared. There was no one around and she wasn't surprised, since it was probably close to seven o'clock and the night shift members would be up and about soon.

Twisting the knob, she opened and stepped through the door, ready to head straight to Mincinno and play but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw N sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. His chest rose and fell slowly, lashes fluttering as if he was having a vivid dream.

Quietly as she can, Touko shut the door and locked it before tip toeing to the bathroom and hoping into the shower. She wasn't expecting the king to be back in the room for at least another hour or two, because he had said so himself a few days ago that this week was going to be hectic and that he'll most likely be at the office until late.

Washing the suds off her hair and body, she turned the water off and stepped out from the shower, grabbing a clean towel off the rack to wrap around her body and another to wrap her hair in. She stepped over to the sink and began to wash her face and brush her teeth. After spitting out the paste, she walked out of the bathroom and headed for the dresser, taking out a pair of t-shirt and shorts to sleep in.

Movement from the bed caused Touko to drop the clothing in shock and whip around, seeing that N was still sleeping and one of his legs was hanging off to the side. Cautiously, she walked over to his side and stared down at his face. His brows were pinched together, as if he were having an annoying dream or a nightmare.

Reaching out, she moved the strands of green hair from his face and cupped his cheek, running her thumb soothingly on the smooth surface. In a year or two, he would lose the baby fat from his face and then he would look truly stunning and manly, a heart breaker. The thought made her bite the inside of her cheek and gave herself a quick shake of her head.

N mumbled something and Touko snatched her hand back, fearing she may have awoken him but he only turned his head away, mumbling something before going quiet once again.

Breathing in deeply, Touko carefully climbed onto his lap, placing herself firmly on his midsection before leaning forward and catching his lips in a soft kiss. He slowly stirred beneath her, his eyes fluttering for a few seconds until everything came into focus. He jerked in surprise but relaxed and began to return the kiss, his hands resting naturally on her hips.

She was first to break the kiss and looked down at him, eyes wide and blinking. He smiled boyishly up at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"That's a nice thing to wake up to."

"Sorry, you must be tired."

"It's fine. I was just resting for a bit before I have to go back to work."

"You're not done?" Touko felt her shoulders slump in disappointment, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Sadly, no. I have much more paper work to do before the night is over."

"Oh."

"Don't look at me that way, please, or I won't be able to leave." N joked and leaned forward to engage Touko into another kiss.

She kissed back, but this time she added more fire by opening her mouth and coaxing his tongue into her mouth. He gasped and held onto her hips with a tighter grasp, exploring the cavern of her hot mouth. Their tongues dueled and she lost on purpose, loving the way his tongue glided against hers.

***LEMON START(LOLFINALLY)***

Without a ounce of embarrassment, Touko shook her head, allowing the towel to fall loose from her hair and slowly removed the towel that hid her body from him. There she sat in his lap, out in the open with her breasts heaving up and down a tad too quickly as she breathed worriedly. Would he like what he see? Or would he compare her body to a Pokemon?

N felt his eyes widen as he watched her strip herself of the towels, exposing all of her naked glory to him. His eyes stayed glued to the twin globes in front of his face, taking notice of how the cool air hit them, causing the rosy nipples to harden.

Swallowing an invisible lump in his throat, he leaned forward and brought a hand up to grab onto a single breast gently, hearing her gasp at the unexpected contact made something in his lower regions stir to attention. Trying to remember what he read in Master Ball Her Heart, he gave an experimental squeeze before poking the hard bud.

"Don't be afraid to touch," Touko whispered in a shaky voice, eyes slightly glazed over.

N gathered his wits and his other hand cupped the other breast. He tested the weight of both globes in his hands, loving how soft and squishy they felt in his hands. Next he caught a nipple between his thumb and index finger, giving it a small squeeze before tugging.

Touko gasped again and arched her back, urging the king to touch her more, as much as he pleased, as much as he could give. These new feelings and sensations were giving her a high, one she never felt before. She licked her lips nervously and shut her eyes tight before speaking in an small voice.

"Y-you can also lick them, i-if you want... "

"Ah, " N murmured and leaned forward.

He stuck his tongue out and licked the pink nipple experimentally, as if he was licking ice cream and groaned when she withered in his lap. He decided to try something else he read about and opened his mouth, closing it onto the hard nub and sucking lightly.

"A-ah!" She gasped in surprise and clutched onto his head, urging him to do more.

And that's just what N did. He sucked gently at first before trying a little harder, loving the noises Touko made from his actions. Deciding it wasn't fair to the other breast, he switched over and began to gave it the same attention.

Touko let her head hang back as sensitive nerve endings were touched and caressed in ways she never thought were possible before. Reading erotica was one thing but experiencing it was a whole different level. She felt herself growing wet and fought against the urge to try and squeeze her thighs together, knowing it wouldn't work since N was between them.

She released her hold from his head and began to unbutton his shirt with clumsy fingers. She was afraid to lose her nerve half way through, being the only one naked, and decided that he also needed to show some skin. He helped her by doing the rest of the buttons himself before tossing the shirt to the floor beside the towels.

N's skin was pale compared to hers but his body was toned with some muscle on his arms and stomach, giving off a delicious male vibe. Bending down, she began to place light kisses onto his neck and collar bone. He instantly leaned his head to the side to give her more room to love, groaning when he felt the wetness of her tongue come into play. How could this feel so good? He had never learned such feelings from the goddesses, or his father.

Such thoughts were instantly gone the moment he felt teeth rake against a hard pec, Touko teased lovingly the same way he treated her. He felt himself get hard while her hands ran up and down his arms, tantalizing. Licking one's body should have disgusted him, seeing it as something dirty but it brought him such feeling, it heightened his senses.

Touko started to tug at his now rumpled slacks, grunting when they weren't coming off. N lifted his bottom and helped remove his pants as well as his boxers, leaving him stark naked. She couldn't help but stare down at the swollen member as it stood proud against his toned stomach. Her eyes widened as she silently swore she saw it pulse and swallowed thickly.

N, seeing her just stare at his private bit, started to feel uncomfortable. Did it look wrong? Was it mutated somehow? She was just staring and not saying a word and it was beginning to worry him, worry him so much that his member slowly began to go soft.

"Ah," Touko noticed it inflating, taking it as a bad sign and reached out for it.

She grasped it softly, as if hoping that would stop it from sinking any further, and it did. It jumped right back up at the soft feel of her hands and he trembled in anticipation. Experimentally, and part knowledge from romance novels, she wrapped her fingers around the hard member and began to pump her hand up and down slowly.

N hissed, the muscles in his thighs bunching up while the rest of him trembled. No one had ever touched him there before, except for himself, but it felt much better when Touko was doing it. Her hands were more soft and just the thought alone of her doing such actions he only did in private spurred on this height of pleasure.

Encouraged by his pants and soft grunts, Touko stroke a bit faster, watching in fascination as a clear bead of liquid appeared at the top. Was this what they called pre-cum? But she didn't have the guts to reach forward to lick it like the characters in a book. Instead she brought her other hand forward to touch it, earning herself a surprised gasp from N.

"S-sorry! Did I hurt you?" She jerked her hands back, feeling bad and dejected that she could have caused pain at such a time.

"No, no... It's just really sensitive," He breathed roughly, peeking up at her through his lashes.

"A good sensitive or bad?"

"Good, I think. You just caught me off guard."

Touko settled onto his thighs once again and reached for the tip, testing. She first ran her index finger over the top, spreading the pre-cum over the head before, pleased with the moan that escaped past his lip. Finally gathering up her courage, she bent down and swiped her tongue across the top to get a taste before pulling back and scrunching her face up. It wasn't tasty nor was it bitter, just kind of salty.

"A-again!" He rasped, eyes wide.

She obeyed and licked the head a couple more times, feeling herself get more wet just by the sounds he made at her actions. She had the control over him and that caused a frenzy within and boldly she engulfed the head of his member into her mouth. She felt his hands entangle her hair, gripped hard enough to inflict pain but it only spurred her on to suck gently. But that's as far as she would go. Perhaps one day she would be brave enough to take all of him, but for now this would have to do.

Pulling back and ignoring the groan from the king, Touko crawled over to her side of the bed, opening her drawer and fished out a condom. N watched her through half lidded eyes, curious but otherwise hazed with longing.

With shaky fingers, Touko had somehow managed to open the package, taking out the condom. Crawling back over to N, she placed the object on top of his member and began to roll the latex material downwards until he was completely covered.

"What's that for?"

"That is to ensure safety."

"Safety? Is my dick dangerous?" She couldn't help but burst out laughing at that.

"Yes, it is a very dangerous weapon."

All humor aside, Touko got onto his lap once more, this time hovering herself over his harden member. She was breathing faster now, knowing what was about to happen, a bonding so strong that Ghetsis wouldn't be able to break.

Holding her breath, Touko began to lower herself down, her hand holding onto his 'dangerous weapon' so it would go into the proper place. At the touch of his head hitting her entrance, she felt her heart race ten miles ahead and N held onto her hips in a bruising grasp. Slowly, she lowered herself a bit more until the head was all the way in. It felt really uncomfortable having such intrusion and she frowned.

N never felt anything like it, the heat, the tightness, it made him see hot white flashes behind his eyes and he felt as if all self control slipped out the window.

"A-ah!" He groaned out suddenly and pushed his hips forward without restraint.

Touko instantly bounced off him at the action and was momentarily dazed before sitting back up to looked over at what happened. She saw that the tip of the condom sagging a bit and gaped.

"You came already?"

"Sorry, it just, it felt really good." He laid there, not sounding the least bit sorry, breathing heavily as his body was glistening with perspiration.

"No, it's okay," Touko mumbled, now knowing exactly why Hoshi gave her more than one condom.

She went back to her drawer and took out another, determined to see this through to the end, before being back at N's side. Taking off the used condom and throwing it into the trash can, she tore open the package and repeated what she did only moments before.

"Try and hold on until I'm... fully on... " She didn't know exactly how to word it and mentally shrugged. But he nodded and steeled himself, determined. She was just happy that he was still hard after ejaculating.

Touko breathed in deeply and started to push herself down onto his member once again, this time without stopping. But as the head went in along with an inch or two, they were met with resistance, making her frown.

"N, I need you to move your hips upwards, really fast and hard if we want this to work, alright?"

"Okay," He nodded and placed his hands on her hips once again.

She began to breathe faster now and held onto his shoulders for support. Within the next second, N thrust his hips upwards, piercing through Touko's barrier, her hymen, breaking her innocence. Her nails flexed painfully into pale skin, drawing small beads of blood until she was fully seated in his lap.

"D-don't move! Please, wait," She breathed in ragged breaths, her body shaking.

"I'll t-try," N hissed in pleasure, willing the bottom half of his body not to move an inch, no matter how good it felt. And how good it felt.

It didn't hurt as much as Touko thought it would. There was a pinch of pain that lasted ten seconds, fifteen at the most. But now it felt odd to have the intrusion in her body and she squeezed her inner walls experimentally, wondering at the stretched and fulfilled feeling.

The feeling of having searing hot glove of flesh tightening around his dick made N pull back and thrust upwards without his control.

"S-stop!" Touko squealed, still trying to comprehend the feeling of fullness.

"But it's so hot, Touko, so hot, so good," N moaned and leaned forward until his forehead hit her chest.

Breathing heavily, he latched onto a neglected nipple and began to suck at it greedily and started to pump himself into Touko once again. This time she didn't tell him to stop and only endured the weird feeling. He couldn't believe anything should feel this exhilarating, so mind numbing that he lost all sense and time.

Touko panted heavily while she continued to hold onto N's shoulders. She was only feeling minimal pleasure but that was only from the attention he was giving her chest. There was a slight tingling from her nether regions and just when she thought she was finally going to feel something, N grunted and slumped further more into her.

"... Did you... "

"I did." His voice was raspy with content and satisfaction.

Frowning, Touko lifted herself up, wincing at the awkward feeling of the now soft member sliding out from within her. And it didn't look like it was going to rise again tonight. She signed and settled down by his side, feeling somewhat incomplete. Sure, this was a some what romantic encounter but she didn't get that much pleasure out of it.

"Did you explode as well?" N asked, feeling worried at the crestfallen look on her face.

"No, but it's okay. It was enjoyable. I'm glad I did it with you." She smiled ruefully and began to lift the covers until N flipped until he was on top of her.

"It's not fair if I get to enjoy this feeling all by myself," he frowned and spread her thighs apart. "If I just put it in one more time- "

"Yeah, no, there's no way you're going to be able to go in again with your... thing like that." She motioned at his soft member.

"Eh," He looked between his legs and frowned. "But I want to make you feel good too, Touko." There was a childish whine in his voice that Touko couldn't help but chuckle at it.

"Well, you could always... lick it... " She felt her whole face flare up at saying such a raunchy thing and lowered her gaze from his in shame.

"Lick there?" he pointed to the small brown curls between her legs.

"Y-yeah."

N hummed for a moment before going down on his stomach and scooting up until he was directly in front of Touko's most sacred place. She tremble in anticipation and embarrassment as he inspected her up close with sharp eyes, shutting hers when he even took a sniff. Just when she was about to push his head away and tell him to forget it, he stuck his tongue out and gave a small lick.

She froze, eyes snapping open to look down at the king between her legs. He looked and stared up at her curiously as he repeated the same action a couple more times. He took notice of her breathing picking up again, her mouth slightly hanging open and a delicate pink flush dusting her cheeks.

N, pleased with her reaction, continued his ministrations, licking as if he was drinking from the most delicious top brand milk like a Purrlion. Using both of his index fingers, he spread apart the plump lips and noticed a little shiny pink nub. Curiously, he reached out and poked it with his tongue. There was a jerk from Touko's hips and a small surprised gasp fell from her lips. Taking this as a positive, he gave more attention to the nub, giving short quick licks before drawing it into his mouth and sucking on it generously.

Touko began to wither, unable to handle the sudden pleasure she was receiving. Mewling and moaning, her hands wound up in his hair, trying to tug him closer, urging him to devour all of her. All she felt was searing white heat, electric currents sizzling on her skin, causing her to feel hotter than before. His tongue flicked with a fiery heat over the tight bud of her clit, stroked, licked and loved.

After a few minutes of showering that part of her with attention, N moved lower and to see where his member had once been in and wondered, with amazement, how it could actually fit in there. Instead of questioning her about it, he let his tongue do the work, circling the entrance teasingly with slowly lazy movements before plunging in.

Touko squealed and lifted her hips, silently pleading for more, needing more before she completely shattered under his torturous tongue. She bit her bottom lip in hopes of containing the moans that continued to get louder and louder as N continued to pleasure her beyond all hope.

He showed no mercy, ravishing the sensitive nerve endings without showing no sign of stopping. His tongue would drive in fast and hard one moment then soft and tender the next, changing his pace every time she wouldn't expect it.

He loved how some pleasure filled moans escaped her mouth and decided to drive her further on by using his index finger to hold one part of her plump lips apart while his middle finger poked and flicked the engorged pink nub while his tongue continued on plunging into her.

Touko felt something build up in her, first starting out small but breaking into something bigger at an alarming rate. It was a feeling she couldn't describe or explain. It moved through her entire being, electrifying every single nerve in her body until she couldn't handle it anymore. She exploded.

"N!" She screamed as silently as she could, feeling every muscle in her body bunch up and repeatedly spasm.

He tried to pull back, surprised at her sudden cry but her thighs were clenched around his head, holding him in place, quivering with tension. He felt something creamy come in contact with his tongue and blinked. Taking a small taste, he found that her essence tasted good and greedily lapped up the juices spilling from her body.

After the mind blowing orgasm of her life, Touko felt herself collapse back onto the bed, her legs going slack, releasing N's head from the death hold she had on him. Her breathing was heavy, eyes half lidded with completion and exhaustion, her body in a dim after glow.

N rose from between her thighs and crawled until he was laying right beside her. He grabbed the large plush blanket and threw it over themselves before drawing Touko into his arms, tight in his embrace. She snuggled into his chest, inhaling deeply before letting out a content sigh.

***LEMON END***

"That was perfect," she whispered finally, looking up at him through her lashes, love and adoration written all over her face.

"You're perfect," he whispered back, leaning down to capture her lips into a chaste kiss.

They pulled back a moment later, closing their eyes as exhaustion finally took over and lulled them into a peaceful slumber that will last them until morning.

The last thoughts running through Touko's head were murky, and probably ones she wouldn't be able to remember in the morning. _'I love you, N. I won't leave you, ever.'_

. . .

A/N: THE LEMON IS SO LONG, I'M SORRY! Seriously, I think it took up half of the chapter LOL.

Huge thanks to Blackrose105 for Beta'ing this chapter and so quickly too! Much love goes out to you! Also cheese buns dipped in syrup for all my readers, reviewers and to the people I talk to over on DA! I love you all so much. C:

Now for the sad news: I'm taking a 2-3 week break because I'm starting to feel burnt out at putting out a chapter every 1-2 weeks. And I only write on weekends when I'm at work. So it's starting to take it's toll. But don't worry, time will pass by fast and I'll be back in no time. C:


	18. Chapter 18

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Eighteen.

. . .

When morning came, Touko didn't want to get out of bed and softly cursed the sunlight that shined directly onto her face. She felt too comfortable and too good to leave the comforts of the bed just yet. But movement beside her stilled all thoughts. Turning, she saw that the sun had decided to shine on N too, she observed amusingly, at the way his face pinched up.

Leaning over, she began to place butterfly kisses all over his face, first his temple, then an eyebrow, his cheek next, his chin and lastly his lips. His eyes fluttered for a moment before everything came into focus.

"Good morning," she whispered, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Good morning to you, too," he whispered back and leaned forward to catch her lips in a quick kiss. "Last night was... "He didn't know how to explain it.

"Hush," she soothed and ran a hand through his messy locks. "Let's just enjoy this." Because she didn't know how long it would last.

They lay there silently, enjoying the other's presence at their leisure until ten minutes later there was a beeping noise. N grunted and sat up, reaching over Touko to his nightstand, turning off his alarm. With a sigh, he looked down at the beauty with a crestfallen look.

"I have to work."

"It's okay. Go ahead and get ready before anyone gets suspicious of you missing in action," Touko smiled in understanding and hoped he wouldn't see the longing in her eyes.

"Okay," he leaned down to kiss her on the top of her head before getting out of bed.

Seeing him naked in the morning made Touko's face flush red, remembering last night more vividly. He walked, unashamed of his state of undress, towards the bathroom, not bothering to close the door behind him before jumping into the shower.

Once she heard the water running, Touko let out a girlish squeal and rolled back and forth, legs kicking out. She couldn't believe how good she felt this morning, perhaps a bit sore between her legs but that only fueled the fire to how great she was feeling.

At one point she thought that maybe they had moved too fast, but pushed it out of her mind, remembering how right she felt with him, how natural it was. The bonding was one of the most beautiful things she ever experienced that no words or books could ever explain properly without many hours of deep thinking for the right words to describe it.

After N was out of the bathroom, a white towel hanging loosely on hips hips, Touko bounced up from the bed, giving a quick peck on his cheek before going into the bathroom to give herself a wash. Washing her legs had been a pain, literally, flinching when she rubbed a sore spot. After she was done, she took a towel to wrap around her body and tied her hair up into the usual pony tail, deciding to let it dry naturally.

When she exited the bathroom, N was already gone but there was a note left by him on the bed. It said his apologies for leaving so early in the morning and that he hopes she will drop by later for a visit. The little heart at the bottom of the note caused her own heart to flutter. Maybe he did have the same feelings for her but just didn't know how to express them?

"Mii," Minccino jumped onto the bed and gave his owner a icy glare.

"Hey little guy, what's wrong?" The Pokemon continued to glare at her so all she could do was take guesses. "Erm, was it last night?"

"Mii!"

"Were you disturbed?"

"Mii... "

"I'm sorry." Touko felt her face flush in embarrassment. She can not believe that her own Pokemon had to experience that!

She started to dress herself in the usual sweats and t-shirt and slipped on a pair of running shoes before leaving the room. Her destination: Hoshi. She had to thank him for the push he gave her, even if it was in the form of condoms.

The Plasma members that passed by ignored the happy skip in her steps, already getting used to her abnormal behavior. She stopped to ask what Hoshi's duties were for that day and they said something like he had been laid off from work for awhile, so he should be in his room.

Feeling worried, Touko made her way quickly to the grunts room and knocked, more like pound, on the door until he opened it up. His eyes widened when he realized exactly who it was, grabbing her arm in a painful grip and dragging her into the room before closing the door.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed.

"I'm, uhm," Touko was too distracted by the haunted look in his eyes to answer his question until he repeated it again. "I just wanted to visit today. Someone told me you've been let off from duties for awhile so I became worried."

"It's nothing," he sighed tiredly and sat on a chair, slouching until his elbows rested on his legs. "It's just that grunt, the one jerking off, reported us for abusing the control room authority so I've been told to take a week off."

"Oh," Touko frowned, feeling bad that she also took part in getting him in trouble. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. I am the one to blame. If there's any punishment, I'll take yours as well."

"Hey, now, don't be taking all of the blame. I took part in this too. If there is any sort of punishment, we'll take it together."

"But I don't think you'll be able to handle it," he whispered so softly she almost didn't here him. Instead he looked her up and down, a single brow raised. "So, you went through with it."

"Eh, how did you know?"

"You're glowing," he gave a wry smile and closed his eyes. "Listen, I want you to take these." He swirled the chair around until he was facing his desk and opened the drawer and took out six pokeballs.

"Whoa, wait! I already have my Pokemon back. Not technically, but I will."

"Oh, I don't want you to keep them," his chuckle was dry. "There was a meeting called last night. All of the Sages were there, including almost all of the Plasma members. The meeting was about the next 'attack' that's suspected to come for your rescue."

"R-really?" Touko felt her heart thud heavily in her chest and she sat on the bed, listening intently.

"Yes. The Sages believe that it'll be awhile before there is another attempt but some of the members reasoned that our enemy wants us to believe that and may strike sooner than expected. That caused a huge debate on whether we should put up higher defenses now or later. Then finally one of the Sages cracked and said it's better to be safe than sorry, so sometime this week there's going to be more people stationed here to stand guard."

"That's horrible," she whispered, seeing now that it'll be more difficult to escape than before.

"Indeed. Rozi also had to go and open her mouth and say that since you and I are so close, that I might change my views and switch sides and help you escape."

"She did? I thought she wanted me gone."

"Don't doubt that she does, but she looks at it as more as a positive to see you suffer."

"Bitch," Touko muttered darkly and he laughed.

"You got that right. So that's partly why I've been given time off."

"But that still doesn't tell me about you handing your Pokemon over to me."

"I've gotten word from your friends. They are doing a second attempt and it's going to be soon. I want you to take my Pokemon and find my wife in Nacrene City. I had convinced her last night, after the meeting, to move there as soon as possible. If things go down and they find out about me, they will strike where it hurts the most."

"Your heart," she whispered in understanding.

"Yes," he nodded and presented the pokeballs to her once more. "Take and hide them from prying eyes. And make sure our king doesn't see them, especially him. He'll know something is up."

"Does he know about the meeting?"

"He's most likely being informed about it right now. Ghetsis had went to fetch him last night but said he wasn't in the office so he must have retired early." She blushed.

"Yes, he did." she mumbled and looked at the red and white balls in her hand before stuffing them into her pockets. "So once I'm out, you want me to hand these to your wife?"

"Yes, if it isn't too much trouble. You know what she looks like so finding her won't be too much trouble. Also, give her this." He took a sealed envelope from his desk, staring at it with such intensity, Touko almost felt like she should look away to give him privacy. "It's a note and the recent check I received."

"Alright, I will."

"Thanks."

It was silent, and not the comfortable ones Touko liked. It was plain and loudly awkward, causing her to fiddle with the letter in her hand. She was still having troubles with coming to terms that the end was near, for her. The end of her stay with N. She still couldn't decide if she should leave or not, which was stupid.

As if he could read her thoughts, Hoshi spoke in a tired voice.

"Remember, sometimes it's better to think with your head instead of your heart." She stared at him, taking in the tired look on his face, making it look like he was much, much older than he originally was.

"That's a wise thing to say."

"I know, that's why I said it," he added cheekily, slowly starting to be and look himself again.

"Psh," she laughed lightly and placed the letter in her pocket.

"So, tell me how did you feel after doing the dirty deed."

"Dirty deed," she rolled her eyes and blushed, a smile forming beautifully on her lips. "It felt amazing. I have never felt so connected with someone before, on such a level of love and intimacy. It's a little hard to explain."

"I know, I know," he smiled back and rolled the chair forward until he was sitting directly in front of her. His arms went around her shoulders and he brought her into a tight hug. "Just promise me you'll be safe. You'll know what to do when the time comes."

"Of course," she returned the hug hesitantly, afraid of how careful he was acting around her,as if he was holding something back. "Do you want to do something today?"

"There isn't much I can do while I'm being put off."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... I've been confined to my room, so I can't really do anything." Touko gawked openly at him, pulling back from his embrace.

"That's outrageous and barbaric—"

"It's called being safe," he reasoned in a stern voice. "These are very cautious people and will take things to the extreme to ensure everything goes according to plan."

"But still, it's so wrong."

"Everyone has different morals, some might not be as good as others, but it's all depending on how that person is raised. You're so pure," he laughed softly. "So of course you're going to view all of this as wrong, but that's not the way they see it."

"True," she sighed and looked around the room, not knowing what else to say or do.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more entertaining. But I do have a deck of cards? We could play Speed, but I must warn you, I'm like a Darkrai."

"Well then," Touko fondly smiled at him and the memory. "I'll let you know in advance that I'm like a Deoxys on caffeine."

They played cards for a few hours, Hoshi winning almost every round and Touko blaming him for cheating some how. It was all in good humor and what they needed most. He offered to train her of his master ways but she denied, saying that she'll forever be bad at playing cards. Finally, she declared that she was going to pay N a visit and hugged the Plasma member before leaving the room.

Hoshi waited until the door was closed firmly behind her before he collapsed on the bed, messing up the cards and bending a few in the process. But he didn't care. It was most likely the last time he would be playing cards with her, since her rescue team was coming soon. He just hoped she was prepared. And he hoped that she didn't see the resignation in his eyes.

. . .

At the office Touko stood awkwardly by N's side while he talked in a quiet voice to the person sitting across from him. The person held a bored expression when his red eyes gave nothing away as the king spoke to him about future plans. When she entered, he had ushered her to stand by him while he tried to finish the meeting up quickly as possible.

The guest had stared her down when she entered and Touko could not help but squirm under his gaze. It didn't hold anything perverted or dislike, but it was intense, as if he was trying to find her weakness, her strengths, her faults. It unnerved her.

She was glad when the meeting came to an end ten minutes later, the two men shaking hands before the eerie man left quietly. She heard N sigh tiredly beside her and she place a hand on his shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze.

"Tired?," she asked.

"You have no idea. It's hard to concentrate when all thoughts are centered on your body and your delicious—" Touko slapped her hand over his mouth to stop him from continuing that sentence.

"T-that's embarrassing! Don't talk about it so nonchalantly." N pried her hand off his mouth and smiled.

"But I can't help myself. I just feel so right."

"Right," she repeated softly and looked down at him with warmth pooling in her cerulean gaze.

"How was your morning."

"It was fine. Hanged out with Hoshi for a while then came here. And yours?"

"Dreadful. I've been informed of a important meeting happening last night but they didn't find me in my office so assumed I'd retired for the night. Though I'm glad they didn't check up on me." He smiled so deviously, she could not help but blush.

"Oh really? Did they say what the meeting was about?"

"They did, but it's not that important," he waved it off as if it literally meant nothing.

And that struck a cord in Touko. One moment he says it's important and in the next, when she wants to know, he says it's not? But she knew that he wouldn't be so open to let her know about her friends attempting to come for her again, to give her such hope. She also knew that he wanted her to want to stay here. He was hoping that she would tell him so he wouldn't have to see the day where he released her on her own free will.

But that would never happen. She could never do that to her friends and family. She could easily do it do him though, and that's what hurt so much. She could walk away without looking back, no matter how much she wanted to. She wished to be selfish, but she can't do that either.

"So what are the plans for today?" Touko asked, trying to get her mind off the subject before she snapped.

"No fun ones, that's for sure. I have to go soon, to a meeting, where they'll tell me what was discussed last night and I'll most likely be scolded by my father for missing out," he sigh and leaned back in his chair.

She looked down at him and noticed a small pink mark peeking out from the collar of his shirt and blushed, barely remembering leaving anything on his skin. Stupidly, she slapped her hands around her neck, not even bothering this morning to wipe the fogged mirror to check out the damage.

She frantically went up to a mirror and looked at her neck, seeing that there wasn't an ounce of skin bruised with love marks and felt a sigh of relief escape her before thinking that she must have been really enthusiastic to leave such hideous marks on the king.

"Something wrong?" He asked, turning his chair around to face her.

"No, nothing," she whispered and walked back to where he was sitting.

Without saying another word, Touko sat in his lap, both legs on one side while she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him down for a kiss. He froze for a second, surprised by the 'attack' but quickly melted into the kiss, his hands resting on her hips.

The kiss was sweet and tender, making Touko feel the connection more than ever. Her nerves sizzled, chills ran down her spine and her mind was in a complete muddle of sappiness. Sitting there, giving each other affections, it felt almost normal, even when she felt something hard poking her thigh. She almost laughed.

Oh how she would love to just straddle him properly, to give into the desires that were clawing her inside, each scratch causing a explosion of heat and need. Thoughts of doing it in the office, the possibilities of being caught made it all the more thrilling. But this relationship was anything but normal. Their circumstances and location weren't normal.

With much needed will power, Touko pulled back and smiled down at N, enjoying how clouded his eyes look, because all he could see was her.

"I should let you go to that meeting now." She got up from his lap and was about to head for the door but he grabbed onto her wrist, not allowing her to go any further.

"Touko," he whined and closed his legs together. "I'm... "

"Tonight," she whispered with a small smile. "I'll be waiting."

"Okay," he smiled back and brought her hand up to his mouth so he could kiss her palm before releasing his hold.

Leaving the office, Touko let out a bubble of laughter. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. But she refused to do it in the office, no matter how erotic the idea. Circumstances, they really are a pain. But more importantly, she hoped that he wouldn't turn into a complete horn dog. The thought of doing it every night made her back ache.

But now she didn't know what to do from now until tonight. She certainly couldn't bug Hoshi again, simply because he was beating himself up over losing work, which was important to him so he could provide for his wife.

Touko decided to head back to the room and put Hoshi's pokeballs in her drawer, all the way at the back along with his letter to his wife. Might as well do it now instead of forgetting tonight. From there, she was pretty sure she could try and find something useful to do with her time.

. . .

"Hup!" Touko chucked the ball at Minccino, confident in her throw.

But the little Pokemon had a mischievous glimmer in its eye. As the ball neared closer, it twirled around and put tension in his tail. smacking against the ball, it flew back and landed directly in his trainer's face.

"Ouch!" She brought her hands up to cup her face, wincing when the lightest touch stung. "I guess I shouldn't get cocky while playing ball with a Pokemon," she murmured and sat on the floor.

"Mii," the Pokemon squeaked, pouncing over and landing directly in her lap.

"Nice shot," she smiled and stroked her fingers through the soft fur.

So settling for playing hardball until the evening wasn't going as planned. But she shouldn't be surprised by the Minccino's experience in play, since he most likely did something similar while in the wild.

"I'm getting bored of reading novels and fashion magazines," she complained to her partner, a bored sigh following soon after. She was beginning to wonder how exactly she made it through this year without going insane from boredom. Obviously there was always something to do but now it just seemed like... nothing.

"If I were to live here, is this how the rest of my life would be?" She asked the little pokemon in her lap, who was too busy cleaning the fur on his paws to humor her. "I'm sure a lot of restrictions would be lifted off, I could probably go to Castelia City and do something... shop for clothes, ha!" She chuckled dryly before sighing once again.

"What a life. What would I have accomplished this year if I hadn't been forced to stay against my will? Nothing much, since I would have been forced to release my Pokemon. What would I do then? Cashier at the mall? Maybe I could be an assistant for Nurse Joy. I'd still be around Pokemon and helping them."

Touko continued to babble on and on about anything that came to her mind, just finding any reason to fill the empty silence that was beginning to bug her. Minccino had tuned her out moments ago and fell asleep with a soft snore.

As carefully as possible, Touko picked up the sleeping pokemon and placed him on the bed, which was probably more comfortable for the little guy. She walked over to the closet and looked at her clothes, which mostly consisted of t-shirts and shorts or sweats. She was getting sick of those too and looked over at N's side, which held all kinds of clothing from formal to casual.

A broad smile appeared on her face before she plucked out one of his black shirts, which had tiny white number prints, in no particular order, crisscrossing everywhere from the front to the back. She flung off her own shirt and put his on, feeling a sense of achievement. Never going to to admit it to anyone, but she had always wanted to try wearing her boyfriend's shirts.

"... Eh?" Touko blinked once. Twice. Three times. "What are we?" She yelled dramatically before grabbing the hair at her scalp, giving it a small tug. "Now that I think about it, after all we did, we didn't even establish what we were! Are we lovers? Boyfriend and girlfriend? Friends with benefits?"

Touko slumped her shoulders forward, feeling her mood sour at the thought. She had saved herself for 'the one' but her one didn't know he was the one for her. Although she was positive the feeling was mutual, she wouldn't be able to rest well with the thought of not knowing how he truly felt. All it would take is three little words, yet huge meaning, to say to him and he would hopefully respond alike.

Slinking towards the mirror in the bathroom, Touko looked at herself, noticing how the shirt was huge on her and reached to her thighs. Shaking her head, she looked in the mirror, face serious.

"I... I—love, love y—y—y—! Why does this seem so vain!" She felt like a complete narcissist! "L—loooooove y—yeeeeeeew! Ugh!" She wanted to punch the mirror and cry in frustration.

Suddenly she felt the ground quiver and blinked. Thinking it was just her imagination, Touko looked back at the mirror, determined to pull through this time but felt the ground shake again with a bit more power, causing a few items to fall off from the edge of the sink.

"Earthquake?" She wondered with a worried frown and headed out of the bathroom.

Touko was about to slip on her shoes and make a run for it to N's office until he himself barged into the room, blazer wrinkled, face serious and eyebrows pinched together. He took a long look at her before going to his closet to get out of his formal work clothes.

"N, what's happening?" She was starting to feel anxious now, silently questioning why he looked at her so intensely.

"Nothing big," another rumble, more vibrating than the last. "Just some complications on the lower floors."

"Oh," she murmured and worried her bottom lip. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Just stay—" He was cut off by an alarmed voice on the intercom.

"Intruder alert! We're under attack! Under attack!" Followed by blaring sirens that echoed throughout the whole building and didn't show any signs of turning off soon.

Touko winced at the obnoxious sound but kept her eyes trained on the king in front of her. His eyes darkened at the announcement, probably hoping she wouldn't find out exactly was going on, yet he couldn't rewind time. So all he could do was hope she would listen to him and he would trust her.

"Just some rebels retaliating. Hide in the bathroom or under the bed, don't give yourself away. I'll be back in no time and everything will be well again." He shrugged off the blazer and picked out a green army jacket and his usual white cap. "I trust you to know how to take care of yourself?"

"Y—yeah, of course." 'In other words, he's saying he trusts me to stay put. He has that much trust in me but do I trust him?' It was a trick question, considering he was beating around the bush of telling her who exactly the rebels were.

"Great," His smile was tense as he walked up to her to place a small kiss on her forehead. "And if you hide anywhere else, don't worry, I'll find you and bring you back here where it's safe, just in case they make it all the way up here."

"Okay," she whispered, closing her eyes when his lips brushed against her skin. When she opened her eyes, he was gone.

She stood there for long moments, shoulders shaking whenever the floor vibrating, walls rumbling and pictures falling to the floor. Minccino had awoken to the noise and now mewled worriedly from the bed. But she felt frozen in place, unable to get to her Pokemon to comfort the little creature.

It began to get noisy, inside and out. Although Touko couldn't hear any yelling or shouting, she heard Pokemon screeching and the sounds of their attacks before the rumbling followed after. It was getting closer and closer.

Her breathing got faster and goosebumps covered her arms. She couldn't dawdle any further. She walked briskly over to her night stand, practically ripping the drawer open before stuffing Hoshi's Pokeballs back into her pockets along with the letter. Next she went to N's bedside and tried opening his drawer but it wouldn't budge.

"Dammit!" Touko cursed softly and tugged some more.

She was close to just picking up the huge piece of wood and chucking it around until it fell apart but the biggest and loudest rumbled caused her to lose her footing. She fell forward and tried to grab onto the bed, but her hand slipped off the side and her head collided with the edge of the night stand.

Touko felt her vision going between black and hazy. Her head was aching and she felt stupefied. She contemplated to just giving in to the darkness, because it felt better than what she was experiencing at the moment but the touch of a small but firm tongue licking her cheek made her fight against the pull of unconsciousness.

"Miii," Minccino cried helplessly, fretting over his fallen owner.

"Sorry little guy, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Mii!"

"Minccino, I need you to headbutt and tackle the drawer until it cracks open. Can you do that?"

Minccino nodded and focused it's attention on the object while Touko struggled to get up and out of the way. It took a total of four headbutts and two tackles before the wood splintered. She was up on her feet by this time and rushed forward, thanking her Pokemon for his hard work, before tearing away the wood until a large enough hole was made so she could reach in with her hand.

Touko wasted no time taking out all five of her Pokeballs and stuffing them in her pocket, opposite of Hoshi's pokemon, and picked up Minccino before dashing out of the room. It looked like the battle hadn't made its way up here yet but she wasted no time sprinting down the hall way, jumping over fallen frames and objects. Her plan was to go to the floor below this one then take the elevator that would take her to the roof and from there, she didn't know what to do.

While waiting for the elevator to come up, which was taking an extremely long time, she remembered that when there's fires or emergencies, the elevators stop working. Smacking her head, disgusted with her own stupidity, she was about to turn around and take the stairs until a loud crash, along with extreme heat, came from N's office.

Touko looked in the direction wearily before deciding to check it out. Stopping in front of the door, she placed her hand on the door knob but pulled back with a hiss at how hot it was. So she counted to ten and opened as quickly as possible.

"Ah!" She gasped in shock at the state the office was in. Everything was burnt black, some things burned to a crisp.

"Vii! Vii, vii!"

"Victini?" Touko turned in the direction of the squeaking, her heart pounding a tattoo against her ribs. It couldn't be true, could it?

The place where she stayed for the first few months, most of the glass had shattered, leaving a huge gaping hole. She had tried everything to break the glass but it didn't even show signs of cracking, who could possibly do this? She looked a bit higher and saw a strange orange flying Pokemon that she had never saw before. Sitting on it's head was her... Victini.

"Victini!" She cried out, a snort of disbelief followed by laughter and tears streaming down her face. She got to see her friend again.

"Ah, I wasn't sure if you would show up or not, but your Victini was positive you'd be here."

"Eh?" Touko looked over to the Pokemon's back and saw someone sitting there. She blinked before recognition dawned on her. "You! You were that guy in the office earlier!"

"Indeed, I was." His voice was calm but his eyes chilled her to the bone. It looked as if they held too much knowledge, so many secrets. "Come, now. We must leave before we encounter trouble."

"G—go where?"

"Far away from here, in hiding."

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

"I'm doing this because of your friends, especially Touya," she gasped at the name, a hand covering her mouth. "He requested my help. As for me, my name is Red."

. . .

A/N: Shit. Just. Got. Real. Oh. Shit.

And a huge thanks to BlackRose105 for Beta'ing this chapter! I love you long time, yeah?


	19. Chapter 19

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Nineteen.

. . .

"Red?" Touko asked, unsure.

"Yes," he nodded, midnight black strands of hair dropping in front of his eerie scarlet red eyes as he did so. "Come on over now, before we run into unwanted company."

"But, what about Touya? Tell me how—"

"I'll answer your questions on the way. We don't have much time now." There was a loud rumble to prove his point.

"Okay," she nodded, called Minccino back to his ball and began to walk over to the orange Pokemon, willing her shaky legs to stop quivering.

Halfway across the room, she heard voices shouting along with loud crashes that sounded much to close to comfort. She ran the rest of the way, stumbling over a few broken items. Once at the window, the Pokemon got as close as possible.

"Grab onto my hand," Red instructed and reached out.

Touko clasped onto his hand tightly and he yanked hard, giving her no time to think or back out before she was suspended in mid air then she was straddling the dragon-like Pokemon. Victini bounced over Red's shoulder and into her arms. She hugged her Pokemon tightly and rubbed her cheek on top of his head.

"Hey Victini, I never thought I'd see you again," she hiccuped and looked up at Red.

"Alright Charizard, good work. Let's fly out of here and get back to the others." The pokemon, 'Charizard', growled out and was about to turn around and leave but a few grunts broke down the door and stumbled into the room.

"H-hey, what's that Pokemon?"

"There isn't one like that in Unova!"

"It must be rare! Let's capture it!"

"You idiots!" A female voice hissed from the back and Touko squinted, trying to see past the smoke and debris. It was Rozi. "Worry about the Pokemon later and try capturing her!"

"R—right!" They stuttered in unison before ordering their Pokemon to attack.

"Charizard, Flame Thrower!" Red shouted, his voice strong and sure.

"Raaagh!" The Pokemon bellowed and unleashed a large stream of heat, Touko was positive that some of her hair must have singed from the intensity.

"Ah!" The Plasma grunts yelled in shock, not even their water Pokemon could fend off this power. "Someone get our King! He can fight this guy!"

"I know where my limits are," Red murmured, not seeming fazed one bit. "I can take on hundreds of these grunts, but them plus a legendary Pokemon is a no-go. Let's leave now, Charizard!"

"Reeeraggh!" The Pokemon flapped it's powerful wings and ascended to the sky.

Touko looked back at the damage that was done, but froze when she saw Rozi, leaning against the wall casually with a satisfied smirk on her face, not bothering to try and stop her from leaving.

. . .

Long after they left the war zone, both Touko and Red remained silent except for the chilly night air that howled when it whipped against her face and ears. She shivered violently. Red noticed this instantly and shrugged off his coat before handing it back to her.

"What about you? You'll be cold."

"It's fine, I'm used to worse."

"U—used to worse... "She repeated, mumbling to herself but gratefully accepted the coat, slipping it on quickly and placed Victini inside as well before zippering up.

"Didn't you have questions for me?"

"Ah, yes. Uhm, about Touya."

"He's a great guy. He challenged me to many battles, almost won a few but he never could defeat my Pikachu."

"What? Pika Her Chu?" Touya couldn't defeat a... erotic novel?

"No, Pikachu. I usually have him with me but I left most of my Pokemon back in Nuvema, just in case of the possibility of getting caught."

"Erm, okay. How did you and Touya meet?"

"We met in the highest part of Mt. Silver. I've lived there for years, braving through cold winters, snow and hail storms. It's a really beautiful and calm place. Touya was passing through and loudly challenged me to a battle. I scolded him for speaking in such a loud tone and warned him that he could cause an avalanche."

"Pfft, typical Touya," she snorted and smiled fondly, remembering when her friend would declare, in a rumbustious voice, that he was going to be the Pokemon champion of the entire world. Unova just wasn't good enough for him."

"Yes. He amused me, especially when I saw his fat pink Pokemon, Munna, would chomp on his head and eat his dream. It is really fascinating. But he has still yet to defeat me."

"Oh, I see."

"He's also very contagious. I never use to talk so much until he came along and pestered me into making conversation." He snorted softly and shook his head. "He's different from all the other trainers I met. While they had dark intentions, he had a pure heart. Friends over power."

"So you must be from Kanto."

"I am. I hadn't seen Touya for months but he suddenly came back and got on his knees, begging me for help. I had never seen him so messed up. It took awhile for me to calm him down so he could explain the entire situation to me. Pokemon Liberation. Bullshit."

"Poor Touya," Touko whispered and willed herself not to cry.

"Mhmm," he hummed and they lowered down from the clouds. "I'll stay as low as I can so you won't be too cold but we won't get there for at least a few more hours. We'll have to stop at one of the hideouts for a break, though."

"Where are we heading."

"To a rebel hideaway near your hometown. It's the main hiding place, since it's declared that you are a hero who holds Zekrom in the palm of your hands."

"Oh," she mumbled, slightly embarrassed. "How long has this been going on?"

"Ever since your capture, people have rebelled against the idea of releasing their Pokemon and went into hiding. Some were caught and forced to release their friends while others got away. It didn't get stable until I came here with Touya two months ago. Since then, we've been planning and plotting your rescue."

"Wow," Touko breathed in amazement.

"You are a symbol of their hope. It'll be a huge responsibility of yours to keep everyone motivated. We already had a few people give up and go back home, Pokemon-less."

"Okay," she whispered, feeling the weight of his words sitting heavy on her shoulders. And she wasn't liking it one bit.

"So tell me about your time there. I have been talking this whole time, no doubt your getting tired of hearing my voice."

'No, actually, your voice is very deep, husky and sexy,' was what Touko thought with a tint of pink on her cheeks. "Well, the first few months weren't very nice. I was kept inside that office room until I was well 'behaved' enough to stay in a normal room."

"You were basically treated like a wild animal."

"I guess. But they were nice."

"Okay, so instead of a wild animal, you were treated as a pet."

"You could say that. But how did you even book a meeting with N on such short notice, much less know the floor I was possibly on? It takes at least three months in advance booking to get half an hour of his time and there are a lot of floors in that tower."

"Firstly, Touya brought Victini to Kanto with him, claiming that he is originally your Pokemon and it came to him a few months ago. Secondly, Victini told me that the last he saw you, you were staying on the very top floor."

"You can communicate with Pokemon?" 'So that's where Victini went. Smart Pokemon.'

"Yes, it is a rare gift, but it comes in handy."

Touko was silent, processing their conversation through her head while ignoring the stinging on her face. She felt exhaustion just by thinking what happened just an hour ago. Her life changed in a flash, from a captive living in luxury to a fugitive on the run. She was happily with N one moment and the next she was ripped away from him—willingly.

She shoved all negative thoughts to the side and began to focus on seeing her mother and friends again. Especially Touya.

. . .

N panted heavily while he ran down the hall to his room, ignoring the beads of sweat covering his body and the stinging when they seeped into the various cuts he received. Barely twenty minutes ago the enemy had retreated, calling all their troops to back out. They had held up a guide front, but were still clearly no match for Team Plasma. He then spent the next fifteen minutes ordering different groups to different tasks so that the tower could restore to it's proper condition as quickly as possible. So much damage had been done.

The king had left his bustling group of followers and took the elevator straight up to the top floor, his heart pounding harshly at the thoughts of Touko. Was she safe? Did she get hurt? Perhaps she was taken... or worse, left of her own free will?

"No," he murmured with a quick shake of his head. He knew she wouldn't do that to him, he trusted her.

The hall way seemed much longer than usual, accompanied with cracks in the wall and floor, pictures shattered on the ground and glass laying everywhere. He picked up his pace when he saw the door come in sight and barged in, taking note of the lights turned off.

"Touko?" He whispered into the darkness, squinting as his sight adjusted.

"Mhm?" There was a mumble from the bed and now he could see a figure laying under the covers.

"Oh, thank goodness," he breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that she was safe and sound. "I'm glad you're not hurt."

N walked over to the bed, getting on and crawling over to the form. He leaned down and nuzzled the creamy neck, taking notice of the different scent of her skin. She exhaled dreamily and he smiled. He reached over and turned on her lamp to get a good look at her, just to make sure she wasn't harmed and froze when shockingly pale blonde hair came into view instead of chestnut brown.

"What the—!" He left off the bed and ripped the covers off, coming face to face with a content looking Rozi. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, my king," Rozi sighed at his expression and sat up properly, realizing that nothing was going to happen tonight.

"I can see that but why? Where is Touko?"

"Touko-chan?" The blonde mocked in a high pitched voice before squealing in delight. "She left almost two hours ago!"

"W—what?"

"Uh huh, it's true! I went up to your office with my team because we heard this loud crash. So when we entered the room, there was a huge hole in the glass wall and so many burnt items. But that's besides the point. There was this dashing man on this huge orange flying Pokemon, never saw anything like it so it must be rare! And Touko, that sly dog, just jumped into his arms and he whisked her off into the moonlight." Rozi sighed dreamily while cheering on the inside at the look on her kings face.

"She left... Just like that... "

"Just like that," she repeated while nodding very eagerly. She took joy in the way his face darkened with every passing moment and couldn't help the smile stretching her face.

He looked over at his side of the bed, noticing the splintered wood and it all clicked. She knew. "Dammit!" He turned and ran out of the room, heading back down the hall.

N couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't accept it. His heart felt like it was squeezing so tightly, it just might explode from the pain alone. The closer he got to the office, the harder it was to breathe properly. His feet started to drag heavily but he didn't let that stop him from entering the room, not noticing the door shattered and broken.

The whole office was a mess. Almost everything was burned, including important papers and documents, but he didn't care about that. His eyes strained on the room where he kept his first friend. The glass had indeed shattered, which irked him on some level. He had searched high and low for the best, unbreakable, glass there was in Unova. But here it was, in shambles.

Anger coursed through him and he clenched his hands into a fist. He felt his rage escalating into scary heights and let out a disgruntled half scream, half cry. Falling to his knees, he began to punch the ground, his knuckles splitting open from the glass and drips of blood splattering around the small area. He didn't stop until he felt a hand gently touch his should.

A red haze clouded his eyes and in a fit of madness, he swung his hand around, backhanding whoever dared to touch him at this time. He heard a female cry and the haze was gone in an instant. Turning around, he saw Anthea on the ground, holding her cheek while blood slowly leaked down her chin

"Anthea... " N whispered and he began to shake. From pain or regret, he wasn't sure.

The goddess did not dislike her king for doing what he did, nor was she surprised, just caught off guard. It would have been wiser to announce herself instead of sneaking up on him in his current state.

Without hesitation, Anthea crawled over to N and brought him into a motherly hug. She felt his arms wrap around her tightly before the sobs came. No matter how hard he squeezed the breath out of her, she held on just as tight, humming songs she used to sing to him when he was little and running her hands through his hair. There was no words of comfort she could offer here, because a simple "It'll be okay," or "Don't worry, she'll be back" were plain lies and a harsh slap to the kings face.

So she sat there, offering all she could until he cried himself to sleep in her arms.

Concordia watched the scene from the door way, unable to hold back her own tears at seeing her proud king who had fallen so low. She had never liked the way Touko got close to the young king, feeling like she would corrupt him at any moment, but now she wished she could have changed her mind somehow if she had a chance to talk to her, just so that N wouldn't go through such unneeded grief.

At the sound of foot steps, she turned her head to the side and saw Rozi walking leisurely down the hallway, a 'innocent' smile plastered on her face. Not wanting outsiders to see the king like this, Concordia stood in front of the door, shoulder set.

"I would like to get by, please," Rozi's smile dropped at the older woman's stance and she stopped from walking further.

"I will not allow you to enter. Please leave."

"Hmph, I order you to get out of my way and go do something productive. Like, make me dinner."

"My apologies, but when aiding my king, you are last in line to order me around."

"Aiding him? You're just chilling by the door like some bouncer and I have a full access pass."

"Your pass expired long ago, Rozi."

"Let me through now or you will be in trouble."

"What, you plan on running to daddy dearest?" Concordia leaned forward, her face devoid of emotion. She was getting really sick of this stuck up bitch.

"Who else?" The blonde leaned back, feeling slightly intimidated by the older woman.

"Well, in case you were forgetting your place... Anthea and I are the Plasma Goddesses. And that makes you low on the chain, little grunt."

"I'm an executive!"

"That is still pretty low, compared to my role. Now, run along and help the rest of your crew clean up or I'll tell Ghetsis dearest that you're troubling the king. He wouldn't be very pleased about that."

Rozi swallowed thickly, feeling disgust towards the goddess calling one of the great sages 'dearest' and fear of her actually planning to tell N's dad, the person who she's suppose to please if she ever wanted a chance with the king!

"F—fine! This is the only time I'm letting you off the hook so easily," she spun around on her heel and marched away.

Concordia sighed tiredly and went back into the room, kneeling down beside Anthea. "Is he sleeping?"

"Yes, but he's restless. Perhaps a bit traumatized from the whole thing. His only friend betrayed him... how will he deal?"

"Only time will tell. Here, let me help you bring him to bed."

"Okay," Anthea sniffled and stared down at the king's troubled, sleeping face.

. . .

Touko couldn't contain the excited squeal that bubbled from within when her home town, Nuvema, came into view. They began to descend into the forest surrounding the small town. Red had told her that most of Plasma grunts had been called for back up at Liberty Garden but he still wanted to play it safe.

Once they landed on the ground, she jumped off, unzipped the jacket so Victini can run around freely, and was prepared to run towards her home but her flying companion reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Hey—!"

"Shh," he silenced her by placed his index on his lips.

Red called Charizard back to his pokeball and walked out into the opening, motioning for her to stay there. He walked around for a couple minutes and saw that no Plasma grunts came rushing to ask for his ID, or to his Pokeballs, and waved Touko to come out.

She wasted no time and ran past him, heading straight for her house. When she stood in front of the door, she was conflicted between just entering or knocking. It felt weird now, being back home after so long, she didn't know what felt right, but when Red sent her a "What the heck are you doing?" look, she twisted the door knob and walked into the house.

Touko saw the back of her mother's head while she sat on the couch, either watching TV or reading, she wasn't sure.

"How many times have I told you, you damn Plasma people!" The older woman shrilled in an angry voice, stood up from her seat and turned around. "Don't go barging into my hou—" The words died from her lips when her gaze landed onto her daughter. "T—Touko? Is that you?"

"Mom," Touko sniffled, bottom lip trembling. "It is me."

"Touko!"

Ms. White wasted no time and ran around the sofa, straight for her daughter and brought her into a bone crushing hug, causing them to fall onto the floor. Touko ignored the pain emitting from her tail bone and hugged her mother back just as eagerly, hands locking together. First they laughed together, then cried, sobbing "I miss you"'s and went back to laughing again.

Touko inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar scents of her home and the light perfume her mother liked to use, nostalgia rushing back to her, causing more tears to stream down her face. She was finally home, in the arms of her only parent. It felt too surreal and she was tempted to pinch herself to see if it was all just a horrible dream that her mind decided to play.

The older woman took a few deep breaths before pulling back, a watery smile plastered on her face. "My baby girl," she murmured, tucking a few strands of her daughters hair behind her ear.

"Mom," Touko sniffled again and rubbed at her eyes. "How have you been doing lately?"

"Well, I haven't been doing great but I haven't been doing bad either. All that matters is you're here now."

"Yes," she agreed with a small nod of her head. "Uhm, I'm a little hungry," she admitted with a small hint of pink on her cheeks.

"I bet you are! I made some stew earlier so you'll just have to pop it into the microwave for two minutes. Do you remember where it is?"

"Of course I do. I know how much you hate changing things around." Touko smiled fondly and headed over to the kitchen, dragging her mother along. "Did you know I was coming home tonight?"

Red came in through the door and closed it behind him, making sure it was locked before he made his way to the kitchen, pulling out a chair and sat down. He watched with curious eyes as Touko interacted with her mom, all smiles and hugs, but he could see behind the mask she pulled up, could see the tug of war she was having within herself.

"I didn't, actually. When I heard about the last time they went on a rescue mission and failed, I had another anxiety attack so it was decided from there on they wouldn't involve me in any more of their plans." Ms. White sighed while taking a bowl out from the cupboard and filling it with stew before placing it in the microwave to heat up.

"Oh, no wonder you were surprised. I thought for sure you knew I was coming, I didn't mean to scare you or else I would have knocked."

"Miss Touko White, there is no way you'll be knocking on the door of your own home," Ms. White huffed sternly, taking the now heated food from the microwave and placing it on the table along with a large spoon. "Now eat up and head to bed, I'm sure you're exhausted from your trip."

"But I have to see my friends—"

"They will be waiting here and not anywhere else, Touko. I know you're tired and I'm sure it will be rude to your guests if you yawn continuously around them."

"Okay," she mumbled and began to slurp on her food.

"Red, dear, would you like some as well? There is plenty left."

"That is quite alright, Ms. White. I already had a protein bar on the way—"

"I highly doubt that filled you up. Here, let me prepare a bowl for you, too." The older woman ignored the man's intense stare and busied herself.

"Don't mind her," Touko whispered to him after swallowing some of the broth from the bowl. "She's in her motherly mode right now. If you refuse her, she might even make you sit in the corner."

"The corner... " Red murmured dryly, knowing the older woman wouldn't do such a thing to a grown man but decided it would probably be best to keep his mouth shut. Watching Ms. white in the kitchen made him think of his own mother back at home and a pang of loneliness hit him in the chest. He had the stop hanging out in the mountains so much.

"So, mom, while I was kept over at Liberty Garden—"

"Oh, Touko, why don't you save your story time for your friends? I'm sure they would be a lot more interested in hearing," the older woman offered a warm yet tense smile before setting a bowl in front of Red before going off to wash some dishes.

"But—" she started but stopped when the male across her shook his head. She frowned and finished off the rest of her stew. "Alright, I'll be heading to sleep now."

"I would like to talk to you, in private, if that's alright with you Ms. White?" Red saw the woman nod from the corner of his eye and stood.

"Okay, just follow me."

Touko placed her bowl in the sink, gave her mother a hug and a peck on the cheek before leading Red up the stairs, down the hall and into her bedroom. A wave of nostalgia hit her in the face as she realized that everything was kept the same. Memories of the time she spent with her friends entered fresh into her mind, as if they happened not too long ago, and she walked in and sat on her bed.

"Sit where ever you like."

"Thanks," Red murmured and sat on the computer chair.

It was silent for a moment, both people taking in their surroundings, one trying not to cry, the other trying to think of the right questions to ask. After two minutes passed, Red cleared his throat to get Touko's attention.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling... good. Emotionally and physically exhausted but good."

"I can read people well."

"Oh?" Touko really didn't know where he was going with this and just continued to listen.

"After spending years in a mountain, battling trainer after trainer, you learn to read people, their facial expressions, if they were confident in their moves or faltering just by their body movements. When I went to have a 'meeting' with N, it was just to see if Victini was right about you staying in that office. I was highly disappointed to see that he was wrong and I began to question myself, wondering if I heard him right. It would have been very problematic if I got the wrong information.

But then you came strolling in before my eyes. You looked curious about my appearance but a little on edge. And seeing you stand beside N, you looked content with being there by his side, but there was hesitation in your shoulders. You were mixed up about the whole thing. A side of you looked as if you wanted to be there, the other side wanted to go running scared.

And that alone worried me. Because of your mixed feelings, I did not know if the rescue mission would be a bust or not. Would you come or would you stay, I didn't know. So I threw Touya's name in there to help you decide."

"That's a cruel trick," Touko finally whispered and sighed softly. "But I'm glad you did it. I can't believe how well you read me."

"Why were you hesitant to leave?" Red asked, out of pure curiosity, his crimson red eyes boring into Touko's.

"Uhm, it's a really long story, but to make it short, I might have fell... in love... with N... " she whispered meekly, a red tint dusting her cheeks.

"I see," he murmured and looked up at the ceiling. "That's understandable. Spending so much time with another person, especially if they're attractive, is bound to stir something within your heart. Humans are so interesting."

"They are," she agreed moodily and yawned.

"Sorry for keeping you up. I should let you rest now."

"It's no problem. I'm bound to tell my friends the long story after I wake up, but leave the romance out of it. I don't know how well they would take it if they heard that I fell in love with the 'enemy'." 'But I will definitely tell my best girlfriend, Belle.'

"Of course, I shouldn't have been so eager to hear your answer and should have waited until tomorrow."

"Don't worry about it, Red. You've done so much for us already, I wish there was some way I can repay you for the trouble."

"No trouble at all. I just wish to see the balance restored in Unova, between Pokemon and humans."

"Right," she smiled and walked him to the door. "See you in a few hours."

"Have a good few hours rest. Good night."

"Night."

Red nodded, left the room and Touko closed the door behind him. She stripped of his jacket, placing it on the computer chair, vowing to wash it before giving it back. Next was the sweats, which she took all the Pokeballs out and place them onto her desk, along with the letter to Hoshi's wife. She was much too tired to greet her Pokemon at the moment, deciding it would be better after she woke up and kicked the sweats off into a random corner before she wormed out of the shirt, ready to chuck it as well but froze.

"N's t-shirt... " she whispered and stared at the large article of clothing.

Instead of tossing it away, Touko brought it to the bed with her, crawling under the covers and bringing the shirt up to her face. She inhaled deeply, his scent filling her nose pleasantly. Exhaling shakily, she couldn't help the few tears that slid free.

Touko was a sick person. Heart sick. And she was cruel for doing this to N. Betraying the trust he had in her, he even believed she wouldn't run from him, yet she did. But she did have second thoughts before doing so. Follow her heart, or follow her brain? Although the two organs need each other to survive, they just didn't get along. Her heart wants N, her mind wants freedom. She wanted both. Selfish.

. . .

A couple hours later, Ms. White was shaking her daughter's shoulder, rousing the younger slumbering woman from her deep sleep. "Time to get up, honey. You've been sleeping for three hours and it's almost nine o'clock at night. Your friends are waiting downstairs."

"Okay," Touko murmured. "I'll be down in a moment."

"Alright, dear," the older woman smiled and left the room but not before throwing the light switch on, nearly blinding her daughter.

"Ugh, just like old times," she grumbled, remembering when it took her ages to get out of bed until her mom decided to turn on the light to help her get up.

Touko realized in dismay that her eyes were slightly puffy from all the crying that happened only hours ago and sighed before shoving N's t-shirt under her pillow and standing up. She really wished she could take a shower first but thought it would be rude to keep her friends waiting any longer. So she opted to changing her bra and underwear before slipping into her old, usual attire—white tank top, black open vest and extremely short shorts.

After looking herself over in her body length mirror, Touko shook her head before stripping again. Those clothes were only good for the spring and summer time. Since it was winter, she slipped into a white short sleeved sweater and blue boot cut jeans and socks.

Now that she felt comfortable and presentable, Touko walked out of her room and peeked down the stairs, suddenly feeling nervous. She could see her friends as well as people who lived in town and others she never saw before. Cheren was leaning against the wall, talking to Belle in hushed tones, her mother was busy offering everyone appetizers, which consisted of sandwiches, fudge bars and other things she couldn't identify. She flicked her eyes on the other side of the room, her eyes landing to the two people on the couch.

Red and Touya sat on the couch, seeming to be engaged in a deep conversation and it annoyed Touko that she couldn't see her friends face. But crimson eyes flickered over in her direction, blinked twice and he stood.

"What are you doing, hiding there? Come on out." Red made sure his voice was raised so everyone could hear him.

"Eh?" Touko felt her face heat up as all eyes landed on her.

There was a moment of complete and utter silence before all hell broke loose. Mainly from Belle. The blonde pushed Cheren off to the side and began to run over, tears welling up in her big blue eyes.

"Toooou~koooooo!"

"W—wait!" Touko stumbled down the stairs, not wanting to be tackled at the top by her over-excited friend, just in case they got into an accident. The last thing she needed right now was to end up at the hospital with a broken leg or arm. Or both.

She made it almost to the bottom of the steps before she was viciously throw back against the stairs, the wind knocking out of her completely. Small but strong arms wrapped around her midsection and began to squeeze tightly.

"B—Belle!" Touko tried to breathe, feeling her friend's hands pushing on the sore spots of when she fell on the stairs. "Hug me properly!"

"I'm so sorry!" The blonde wailed and wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck, nearly choking her.

Touko gave up and returned the hug, a wide smile on her face while Belle continued with the never ending water works. Other people gathered around and she tried to stand as best as she could, with the ditzy blonde still hanging on to her, to greet the others while they offered 'welcome back's' and 'welcome home's'.

Cheren came up behind Belle and unlatched her arms easily before bringing Touko into his embrace. "I... I've missed you," he murmured, a small flush of pink appearing on his cheeks.

Touko stared wide at his face, having a hard time believing that her chess loving friend, Cheren, was actually expressing his feelings. He wasn't cold, as many people judge him to be when they first meet the stoic male, but he only has a hard time expressing good nature feelings, hiding behind his books to cover up any embarrassment.

"I've missed you too, Cheren," she smiled and returned the hug.

"No fair, Cheren! I want to hug Touko some more!"

"Don't be so greedy, Belle, other people would like a turn as well."

"But!"

"Belle, how about sleeping over tonight? Then we can talk all you want." Touko offered, not wanting to see her friends bicker so soon after her return.

"Okay!" Belle cheered and left the crowd.

"You spoil her too much," Cheren grumbled.

"What, you want to sleep over too?" She teased, grinning mischievously when she caused the male to blush again.

"No, I'll be fine, thanks." He left to go after Belle, probably to scold her again.

Touko searched the crowd for familiar warm chocolate brown eyes and wasn't disappointed when she instantly found them not a moment later. She held her breath and walked forward with strength she didn't know she still had. After all the crying and breakdowns, she was sure she was going to turn out weak and pathetic. But here she was, walking with long and confident strides.

"Touya," she whispered, her cerulean eyes taking in all of him.

"Touko," he whispered back, his deep familiar voice sending a shiver down her spine.

She flung herself into his arms and began to laugh hysterically. He stumbled back a bit but regained his balance quickly before chuckling at her childish antics. He wrapped one arm around her mid section while his other ran through strands of her hair that hung loosely down at her back.

"I've missed you so much!" She whispered harshly, trying her best not to break down in front of her childhood crush.

"I missed you too, so much. I'm sorry for leaving so long."

"I—it's okay! You had a goal to see through, I understand."

"I know, but it wasn't right of me to stay away for such long periods of times."

"Let's not play this game, we're too old for it," she sighed.

"True," he chuckled and pulled back to get a better look at his friend. "Look at you, you're all grown up."

"Well I wasn't going to stay little forever. Besides that, we're the same age!"

"I know but I am older by a few months."

"Huh, whatever," she teased and backed away before looking at a group of people. "Erm, who are you guys?"

The group imminently surrounded her and began to introduce themselves. There was a total of six people and some were from different towns or cities. From what she remembered Red telling her, there were different hideouts throughout Unova so that must mean everyone was spread out.

"It's nice to meet you all." Touko smiled enthusiastically after shaking hands with all of them.

"You're so great!"

"I can't believe you made it back!"

"I love you!"

"Erk," she swallowed thickly and frowned. Why were these people praising her when all she did was let them down and get captured? "I haven't done anything, really."

"But you have!" A girl chirped from the crowd, a wide smile on her face. "By returning home safely, you and Zekrom have given us more hope than we ever had this past year!"

"She speaks the truth!" A guy gruffed beside the petite girl. "We were beginning to lose faith until your return. Now that you're here, we still have a chance to go against N!"

"Yeah!" Came cheers from all around.

"You guys, I'm not really—" Touko was cut off by a hand covering her mouth. Looking to her side, she saw that the hand belong to Red, and he shook his head a her before leaning down to speak quietly into her ear.

"It's best not to talk to them in this state. They're very excited to see you free and declining being their hope will set off a bomb fuse. I know it's a lot to take in, especially not even being here for a total twenty four hours, but try and put yourself in their place. They see you as hope and they're clinging on desperately. Humor them."

"But it's wrong, I'm not—"

"You are. You can continue to deny it for as long as you like, but that will be your downfall."

Touko felt a sudden bitterness fill inside her at his words and was ready to lash out at this strange man, who declares that some hero she's not and telling her to accept responsibilities she never wanted anything to do with in the first place but he covered her mouth once again.

"Zekrom chose you. He picked you out of everyone else in Unova and that is because he can see a hero in you. Zekrom believes and puts his faith in you alone. He knows you can make a difference but just because it seems like a big responsibility, you're trying to run scared, afraid you'll fail everyone in Unova. That was your mistake the first time around... Now you need to put your faith into him and your Pokemon and you'll see that your job isn't that hard, just tiring."

He sent her a small reassuring smile and Touko felt the anger ebb away. She wished he wouldn't be able to read her so well, but he did, and told her what she wished she didn't have to hear. She was afraid of the weight of everyone's hopes on her, how they looked up to her like an idol. She doubted herself, believing that she would fail. But that would have to change, and soon, if she planned on defeating team Plasma and their king.

Once and for all.

. . .

A/N: Shit. Just. Got. MORE. Real.

Huge thanks to BlackRose105 for Betaing this chapter! And to everyone who Reads and Reviews. -lovelovelove-


	20. Chapter 20

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Twenty.

. . .

A gathering at the Whites home carried on until one in the morning, until the owner of the house kicked everyone out, demanding to allow her daughter some alone time with people she actually knew. But even her close friends believed it was best to head out and get some sleep for the day tomorrow.

Belle said her goodbyes and went up into Touko's room to change into her pajamas, while said brunette stayed down stairs to talk to her other two friends and a half friend for a few minutes longer.

"What's on the agenda for tomorrow?" Touko asked Red, her 'half' friend. She just wasn't sure about him yet.

"Belle will bring you over to the base and we'll show you the ropes. From there it's just intense training. We might relocate once in awhile to other bases in Unova, to throw off Plasma."

"I see," she murmured and nodded. "Okay, but some time soon, perhaps within two weeks, I have to stop by Nacrene City to drop something off."

"A package?" Cheren asked, a single brow raised.

"Sort of. Remember Hoshi? He asked me to drop off his Pokemon and a letter to his wife who's living there. Safety precautions."

"Sure, we'll stop there in two weeks."

"Thanks," Touko sighed in relief, glad to see it wasn't a hindrance and turned towards Touya, who had his head tilted a little, a small smile on his face.

"Erm," Cheren cleared his throat at seeing this and turned to Red. "We'll be heading out now, see you guys tomorrow."

"Later," Red nodded and left with the other man.

"So," Touko started out now that her and Touya were alone, save for her mother who was sitting on the sofa, pretending to read a magazine when instead she was straining to hear every word. The little gossip. "How is it like being home again?"

"Feels good. My mom is happy, but of course she knows that I wouldn't have come home if this whole thing hadn't been going on."

"Ah, that's true. You shouldn't leave home for long periods of time, you'll make her unhappy."

"I know, but she also knows that this is my dream. She'll be there to support me."

"Don't' forget your amazing friends," she scolded lightly and smiled. "You'll have to tell me about all your adventures some time, and Red, of course."

"What, you interested in him or something?" He teased and nudged her lightly with his elbow.

"No way, I just figured that since he's your friend and he's getting involved in another region's mess, it would be best to get to know him."

"He's a good guy, trust me. Perhaps a bit introverted at times, but good nonetheless."

"I believe you."

"I knew you would," he smiled fondly before jerking his chin towards her bedroom. "You should go now, before Belle gets any weird ideas. Although I wouldn't mind... " He left his sentence hanging on purpose while his eyes gazed down at the young woman.

"Uhm," she didn't know what to say. If he had come to her with this months ago, she would have jumped into his arms. But now?

"No rush, no rush. I'll take my leave now."

"Alright, I'm sorry. Bye."

"Good bye."

Touya leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on Touko's forward and turned around before she could see the light blush on his cheeks. He opened the door and walked out, leaving his friend there, blinking and dazed until there was twin squeals from the other side of the room.

"I want him for a son!" Ms. White giggled girlishly while clapping her hands together.

"Oh, Touko, that was so cute and romantic!" Belle squealed from the top of the stairs.

"You two... " Touko sighed before locking the door and walking over to her mother to give the elder woman a hug. "Don't get any funny ideas, okay? We both just returned recently and—"

"And it's the perfect time to catch up, patch up the lonely holes in your heart!"

"Mom... "

"Okay, dear, just make sure to keep me in the loop."

"Always," Touko promised and headed up the stairs.

Belle skipped down the halls, the knee length pajama dress flowing behind her. She bounced onto the bed and waited, with a wide grin of a greedy Meowth, while her friend entered the room and shut the door before the questions spilled like lava from her mouth.

"Oh my gosh! How did it feel to get kissed like that? Was your heart beating super fast? How did you feel? Did you want to ravish him on the spot?"

"Slow down, Belle!" Touko laughed halfheartedly, taking a seat on the bed as well, not bothering to change into her night gown.

"But this is too exhilarating!"

"Well, truth be told, it was unexpected but it felt nice. My heart was beating fast but no, I did not want to 'ravish' him on the spot."

"You skipped a question. How did you feel?"

"I felt... " She started out and scrunched her face up in thought.

"You felt... " Belle egged on, leaning forward, lingering on every word and sound.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"I felt nothing. Zilch, nada."

"Whaaa, how is this possible? He's been your crush since forever."

"I know. But that's all it's been, Belle. A crush. Nothing more."

"Touko... "

"Everyone gets over their crush at one point in their lives."

"Only if someone else enters the picture."

"Well... "

"Who is it?" Belle pushed her friend until she was facing her front on. "Answer honestly."

"I think you know who it is."

"I need to hear it from your mouth."

"N."

"Oh, Touko," Belle sighed and let her shoulders slump. Her bottom lip pushed out into a pout. "When did this happen?"

"When I was stuck in that damned tower, obviously."

"Don't you dare get sarcastic with me, I'm only concerned about you."

"Sorry, I know."

There was a heavy silence between the two, both lost in their own worlds. Touko could understand her friend's confusion, because even since Touya left on his journey, all she could tell her friend was how much she crushed on him. Just a young girl with wishful dreams. She didn't know if those dreams would come true one day or not, so the crush stayed in a standstill.

But being with N, another male, interacting with him almost every day, learning about him and vice versa, changed things. There was no wishful thinking during that time with him, only growing feelings that multiplied every day. There was no way she could stop feeling the way she could and she didn't want to. The feeling of it all was so powerful, intoxicating.

Being separated from the king might change that, but it would take a much longer time than it did with the "crush" feeling. Only time will tell.

"You know I'm not going to judge you." Belle finally murmured and gave her friend a reassuring smile. "Why don't you tell me all about it, from the beginning. We have all the time in the world, or at least until we get too tired to keep our eyes open."

Touko let out a relieved sigh and smiled back. "Well, let's see. After the battle—"

She started from the beginning, right after she lost the battle to N to the little points such as when she ate a Chansey's egg or went night watching with N and Hoshi. She included all the details that she could, including the silliness that she went through almost every day, or the times Ghetsis would come to give her a warning or lecture. Most importantly, she included her feelings.

How she felt from the start and how they slowly grew as time went by. She reasoned how it was like an unstoppable force and thought about Touya many times, but just the thought of the king sending her a boyish smile wiped away all other thoughts of her childhood friend.

Belle made 'oh's' and 'ah's' sounds when appropriate and asked questions about everything. She clearly expressed that she adored Hoshi, admiring that he risked a lot to ensure her freedom, and surprisingly, she also liked the Plasma Goddesses.

The blonde defended their, sometimes, rude attitude towards the brunette, explaining that they remind her of her father. Overprotective, worrywarts but overall wanting to see the best for the person they love and care for.

"If you put yourself in Anthea's shoes, how would you react to see one day that your teenage boy is suddenly getting woo'ed by a girl."

"I would probably lock him in his room," she groaned and flopped back, frowning up at the ceiling. "If I even have children, that is."

"Haven't imagined any with N?"

"Well," Touko ignored the heat rising to her cheeks and looked over at Belle's huge green eyes. "When you're in the situation I was in, thoughts of how your future is going to turn out doesn't immediately come to mind."

"I guess that's true." Belle was silent for a moment before scrunching her brows together. "Now that I think about it, at that masquerade ball, did you really get lost in the crowd or did you intended to stay behind?"

"Whoa," Touko breathed in shock. "That's pretty sharp for someone like you."

"I'll ignore that jab to my ego if you answer my question."

The brunette sighed, seeing it was going to be unavoidable and decided to just get it over with. "I was so happy I got to see you and Cheren again. Then talk about taking me away at that moment, it was a lot to take in. I found myself deranged and not prepared to leave."

"Because of him?'

"Yes. I didn't want to leave him so soon but I felt horrible that I'm the reason the first rescue failed. I just followed my heart instead of my brain."

"Don't beat yourself up over it anymore, okay? You are here now and that's all that matters."

"I'll try, can't promise anything, though."

"It's good enough for me. On a side note, did you notice how hot Cheren was that night?" Belle snickered and rolled until she was laying on her stomach, her elbows supporting her upper half.

"Oh my gosh, I didn't even know that was Cheren! I thought he was dating Elesea or something."

"Well to get in he needed an invitation so he decided to ask her, but of course she said she didn't want to be caught dead with a date that looked as nerdy as him."

"Ouch, that's harsh."

"Yeah, but Cheren couldn't have a woman prick at his ego so easily thus he demanded that I help him transform. I messed with his hair and took his glasses off. Boy, was he pissed," she snickered again before continuing. "Luckily he had contacts, which he hates using, and showed up in front of Elesea again."

"I take it she approved?"

"Yes, indeed she did. You should have seen her face! She was so shocked, she didn't think a 'nerdy' person could look so stunning. I think she might have a thing for him."

"Does that bother you?" Touko frowned. "You like Cheren, don't you?"

"No, not really. Actually, I always had a thing for Touya... "

"No way!" Touko sat up so abruptly that her friend fell face first into the bed. "You like Touya?"

"Yeah."

"For how long?"

"Since you introduced us."

Touko stared at her friend long and hard with wide eyes. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I didn't want our friendship to break over a guy."

"You know that wouldn't have happ—"

"It would. You were so different with Touya around, you were completely smitten with him."

"I always thought you liked Cheren. You were always hanging around with him."

"Only because I didn't want you to suspect my feelings for Touya."

"I'm sorry," Touko whispered. "For being so ignorant of my best friend's feelings."

"Don't be. That's all in the past now. My main question is, do you still see yourself being something with Touya?"

"Of course not. Like I said earlier, he's just a crush. I l—l—I... I LOVE N! There, I said it!" Touko grabbed a pillow and shoved it on her face.

"Woo!" Belle hooted and cheered, wrapping her arms around her friend's shoulder to bring her into a hug. "You finally admit it!"

"Yeah, yeah," Touko huffed from behind the pillow before setting it down on her lap. "What about all that questioning when Touya gave me a peck on the forehead?"

"It was... forced. I thought that if you were to return to Touya's side, I'd support the relationship."

"Belle," Touko started but didn't know how to finish. She couldn't scold her friend, telling her not to let anything stand in her way to happiness but she knew the blonde would say that they are the best of friends and she wouldn't do anything to make the other unhappy.

"Don't feel bad about it any more, Touko. Now that I know you have no more feelings for him, I'm going to show him that I'm not just a friend standing in the background. I'm going to be the hero in his eyes." The blonde smiled prettily and radiated confidence, but there was weariness in her eyes.

Touko knew that was because Touya holds feelings for her, Belle can see that as well. But she would cheer them on from the sidelines and let Belle take the spotlight in his world.

"Another topic!" Belle declared suddenly, sitting up quickly and pumped a fist into the air.

"Aren't you tired?" Touko yawned before chuckling.

"How can I be when you're finally here? We have to pull an all nighter!"

"How about we pull one tomorrow, hmm?" The brunette had already laid down in an uncomfortable position but felt too tired to correct herself.

"Aw, don't be a spoil spo—" Her teasing was cut off by a unbelievable loud wail.

"KWRAAAAAAA!"

"Wha? What was that?" Belle stood from the bed and looked out the window, trying to squint into the darkness.

"That... " Touko also got up, her brows furrowing together before hearing the screech once again.

"KWRAAA!"

"No, no! That's Reshiram!"

"You mean N's Pokemon?" Belle gasped.

"It was so stupid of me to come home right after the escape! It's the most logical place to start looking for me." She walked over to her desk and sorted through the Pokeballs there before picking up one. "Alright Zekrom, looks like we're going to do this sooner than planned."

"No, Touko! It's too soon."

"But he's going to be here—"

"It doesn't mean you're ready, mentally. He'll defeat you easily and just capture you again. And, who knows, this time he might just keep you locked up in a room with no windows and only a door he can get through!" Belle knew her imagination was wild sometimes but knew that with the king, anything was possible.

"But... "

"Let's just make it to the secret base for now. The others must be there waiting and we'll see what happens from there. If it's a fight, we just give it our all."

"Alright, great thinking."

Touko grabbed an old messenger bag she had laying around and shoved all the Pokeballs in there, keeping two out, along with Hoshi's letter. There was no time to change or grab extra clothes so the two friends ran out off the room and down the stairs where Ms. White was waiting, a grim look on her face.

"Be safe, you two," she whispered tearfully, giving each of them a quick hug before watching them leave the house and into the darkness.

"Zebstrika, Stoutland, GO!" Touko called out both of her Pokemon, her heart skipping a beat at the white flash.

"Zeeee!" The zebra like pokemon whinnied and trotted around excitedly.

"Stou! Stou!" The huge dog like pokemon barked and was about to tackle his master before she shook her heard furiously.

"This can't wait, you two. I need you both to take us to the secret base as quickly as possible. Belle, you take Zebstrika and lead the way, I'll be on Stoutland."

"Got it!" Belle agreed and jumped onto Zebstrika, waiting for Touko to mount Stoutland before pointing in the direction of the base. "That way!"

Touko felt like her heart would stop every time she heard Reshiram cry out, and it sounded like with each screech, it was louder than the last time. Closer.

The two women dashed forward on the Pokemon, their hearts thundering dangerously quick. Zebstrika, being the faster Pokemon, took the lead, hence why Touko told Belle to mount him. But Stoutland was not far behind, making sure the other was in his line of sight.

Soon enough they reached the forest, which gave them a small sense of relief since they were sheltered under the trees, but they didn't slow down, it would prove to be too much of a risk that they couldn't afford.

Yet, no matter how fast or far they went, Reshiram's howls were close behind. Touko almost wanted to stop, turn around and battle once and for all, to put all of this hurt and pain to an end but she knew she wasn't ready. She also wanted to run into his arms, pleading for forgiveness.

Within a couple of minutes they reached a more dense part of the forest, giving them more shield from the sky above.

Belle suddenly took a sharp turn, Stoutland quickly following and almost throwing Touko off.

Within the next two minutes they came to an area with many large bushes and shrubs. The blonde ordered Zebstrika to come to a halt and furiously whipped her head around.

"It's okay! It's just me and Touko."

Slowly and cautiously people began to pop out from the bushes to affirm who they thought it was. Someone fully stood, saluted the two women before picking up a walkie-talkie and whispered harshly into it. He listened to the receiver and nodded before speaking.

"The others will be here soon."

"Alright, thanks."

"Is this the base?" Touko asked her friend, looking at the area skeptically.

"No way, this is just the first line of defense, just in case intruders or stragglers come this way. There are two more defense lines before you reach the actual base, which is underground."

"Wow," she breathed while trying to run a hand through her tangled hair.

The whole area was silent, the people behind the bushes watched the two women with stoic faces, no emotion flickering through their eyes.

"They seem kind of... " Touko didn't know the right word for it.

"Professional. We needed people who could take the front lines and not be afraid to enter battle. They are pretty friendly when they're off duty, though."

Their conversation was cut short by the presence of the new comers.

Touya, Cheren and Red rushed forward, their expressions serious.

"What's happening?" Touya asked his childhood friends, looking between the two worriedly. "The alarm went off awhile ago but we were sure that it would only be Plasma members snooping around."

"It's N," Touko breath hitched upon saying his name and she willed herself not to cry. "We heard Reshiram and came as soon as we could."

"Already? Why would he come to your home town to look for you first?" Cheren questioned with furrowed brows. "We were sure he would wait at least a day or two before searching, even then, how would he be so sure you came home first?"

"I don't know but we don't have time to discuss this right now!" She pleaded, feeling her heart drop as another screech pierced the night sky.

"She's correct. We must go." Red demanded and threw out a pokeball. "Charizard."

The dragon like Pokemon appeared after a white flash, growling out before looking towards his master, awaiting orders.

"Pikachu," he called out next and in a yellow flash, a small Pokemon jumped off a tree branch to land on Red's shoulder. "I want you to stay behind and distract the intruders for as long as you can, but don't get caught."

"Pika, pi!" The little rodent like Pokemon chirped and rushed over to a small shrub.

'That's Pikachu?' Touko silently questioned herself, taking in every detail of the Pokemon before is disappeared.

"Braviary!" Touya called out, his Pokemon swooping down from another tree.

"Unfezant!" Cheren called out his own flying Pokemon from his pokeball.

"We'll have to split up and hope we lose him fast." Red explain before mounting onto his Charizard. "Touko, pick one of us to travel with."

"Eh? Why can't I just fly on Zekrom? I'm sure he would be much faster."

"That may be true, but you would stick out like a sore thumb. You'll be spotted easily with such a huge Pokemon and I have no doubt that his Reshiram would match your speed."

"That's true..." She mumbled and looked between the three guys before looking at Belle. "What about you?"

"Me? I'm part of the third defense line. I'll have to stay behind and fight if necessary." She smiled sadly and got off Zebstrika.

"Oh, I see. Then I hope to see you soon." They both hugged before she called back her two Pokemon to their pokeballs then stomped on over to Red and his Pokemon. "I'll ride with you."

"Very well," he nodded and helped her get on before taking off.

Touko refused to look at Touya, knowing he would most likely have a hurt expression on his face, but she couldn't make everyone happy. She owed Belle this and she wouldn't mislead her childhood friends around. She also avoided riding with Cheren as to not give Touya any ideas that she likes him. She knew that he wouldn't think too deeply about her riding with Red since he was still practically a stranger to her.

Without wasting a second, all trainers took off into the air, soaring into the dark clouds in hopes of disguising themselves.

There was a buzzing sound coming from Red and Touko was about to question it but he held his hand up to silence her for the moment. She waited patiently until he looked over his shoulder at her. "Cheren said he's heading to Nimbasa City and Touya is heading to Undella Town."

"Where are we heading?"

"Twist Mountain."

"T—Twist Mountain? But it's so cold there!"

"It's nothing re— Oh, my apologies. I'm used to cold weather. We'll go to Dragonspiral Tower."

Touko bit her lip and said nothing. Dragonspiral Tower was the place she first met Reshiram and where N had teamed up with the legendary dragon. From there he had told her that the next time they meet, they would battle. And indeed they battled, but she lost.

To keep her mind from straying to such thoughts, she began to pray for the safety of her mother and the people at the main base, praying that the destruction stays small and no one gets injured. For a 'leader', she felt awfully pathetic, running and leaving everyone behind like that but she had no choice and she didn't stand a chance.

Within two hours of flying they had finally made it to Dragonspiral Tower.

They hopped off Charizard before Red sent the Pokemon to go gather wood for a fire to keep them warm during the winter night. It wasn't as chilly as it was many hours ago, which was good, but Touko was shivering for a whole other reason. The older man took notice of it quickly.

"Is something bugging you?"

"No, just a little uncomfortable."

"Is it this place?"

'He's too sharp.' "No, just feeling bad that I left everyone behind like that."

"Do not fear for their safety, they have been trained well."

"I wish my worry can be switched off easily." But she took his words to heart and did her best to relax.

Charizard had brought back pieces of wood and twigs, dropping them into a messy pile before spewing fire.

Touko instantly went and sat near the fire, rubbing the wind burn on her face before rubbing her hands together to create a warm friction.

Red joined her beside the fire, crossing his legs, and closing his eyes. All was silent until Touko cleared her throat politely, causing the male to open his blood red eyes to look at her. She squirmed under the gaze, wondering if she'll ever get used to their intensity.

"Are you going to sleep?"

"I'm just resting my eyes for a bit."

"Wouldn't it be better, and more comfortable, to lay down?"

"It would be, but we're not safe yet for total relaxation. I'll keep my guard up for an hour or two more before allowing myself to sleep properly. You, however, are free to do so."

"But, I'll feel bad."

"Feel bad while feeling good sleeping. Trust me, I do not mind."

"Okay."

She reluctantly pulled back from the fire a little bit, taking her messenger bag off and used it as a pillow. As soon as she was laying on her side, back facing the fire, exhaustion hit her hard and she fell asleep within a few minutes.

Touko's dreams were indecisive. It would settle on one dream for a moment, playing a scene or two before switching to a whole different setting. It made Touko restless.

After a shaking feeling, a earthquake in her dreams, she woke up to see Red leaning over her, shaking her shoulders roughly. It only felt as if she closed her eyes a moment ago.

"We gotta leave, now."

"W—what's wrong?" She scrambled to stand up, her mind clearing up instantly of sleep.

"Listen well and you'll know. Charizard." The Pokemon was still out of his pokeball. He leaned down low enough for them to mount.

She did just that as she climbed on top of the dragon Pokemon and strained to listen. It was faint, but growing closer, the sound of Reshiram screeching.

They took off into the sky and Touko realized that the sun had already began to rise, lighting up all of Unova. It would have been a beautiful sight on any other occasion but she couldn't help but think about how easily they'll be seen in broad daylight.

"How long was I asleep for?"

"A little over two hours."

"How did he track us down so quickly? He had two other paths to choose from!"

"That's what I would like to know. Perhaps he chose randomly and got lucky."

"Where are we going now?"

"We'll hide under the Village Bridge. If he's still on our tail, we'll have to continue flying to random places without stopping."

And that's exactly what they did. Traveled nonstop.

N never gave them a break, always close behind. Touko was honestly surprise that he hadn't caught up yet but Red had assured her that even if his Charizard isn't as fast as Reshiram, he was quick to think and his agility allowed him to fly through spaces and short cuts that the legendary dragon wouldn't be able to.

Half way through the day they had to do something risky.

Travel by ground.

Charizard began to show signs of fatigue and Red wasn't cruel enough to push his Pokemon through his limits, so they settled down in the Cold Storage near by Driftveil City.

Touko offered to use Zekrom once again but Red refused. So she opted to using Zebstrika and Stoutland again.

Touko took the lead since she knew Unova better than Red and traveled through places not shown on local maps. But they only got as far as passing Mistraiton City before her own Pokemon showed signs of slowing down.

"I'm sorry we couldn't get far," she apologized after calling her Pokemon back to their pokeballs for rest. "They're not used to long distance traveling out of their balls."

"It's fine. I contacted Touya and Cheren to check on their locations. Touya has moved from Undella Town to the Abundant Shrine after some people reported to Plasma that they've seen him with Pokemon. Cheren was still in Nimbasa City, hiding out at the gym leader's home but he's on his way here since he is near by."

"What is he coming for? Wouldn't a bigger group be easily targeted?"

"It would, but I'm not going with you two. I'll try and distract him while you two escape."

"But—"

"This is no time to worry about my safety. You are the only one we need to worry about right now."

"He's right."

They both turned to the new person joining them, relief flooding through their systems.

Cheren made no move to get off his Unfezant, meaning he wasn't stopping for some chit-chat. Touko gave one last worried look towards Red before sprinting over to jump on the back of the bird Pokemon, behind her friend.

"Keep in touch, I'll let you know where we are once we've landed."

"Alright." Red nodded and sprinted off in the direction of Twist Mountain.

"Hold on tight," was all the warning Cheren gave before they took off into the sky.

Touko squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck. Tightly.

"T—Touko! Around my waist! My waist, dammit!"

"Sorry!"

She did as she was told, feeling her face heat up when he began to hack and cough. After he was able to breathe properly, Cheren began to scold her, ranting that they could have fallen to their deaths and other dramatic stuff.

"You just took off so suddenly, I didn't think about anything other than not falling off!"

"Seriously, you must be slower than Belle! Even she knows where to wrap her arms!"

"How dare you!" Touko mocked gasped and lightly punched his shoulder blade before wrapping her arm around midsection once again.

"I dare." He smirked, even though she couldn't see. But it died at the dreadful sound of the damned legendary Pokemon that wouldn't get off their tails. "How the hell is he tracking us so well?"

"What I want to know is why he hasn't caught up with us yet. No offense to yours or Red's Pokemon, but Reshiram is really fast."

"Do you think he's jerking us around? Playing with his food?"

"No," Touko shook her head. "He's not the type of person to do that." He doesn't seem the type to allow her to leave so easily.

"Let's head to Wellspring Cave."

"What? So close to home?"

"It'll have to be good enough for now. If he follows us there, then we'll go to Victory Road and hide out there. There's no way Reshiram could fit."

"No, but he would most likely crush the place. Not to mention Victory Road is practically a maze!"

"All the more better if Unova's dear king decides to go on foot."

Upon reaching the cave, they ran as far in until they couldn't see the light from outside anymore. Cheren pulled out a flashlight and pointed it towards Touko. She squinted her eyes for a moment before swatting it away.

"What's your problem, go point that somewhere else.

"Sorry, I was just looking at something."

"What?"

"That necklace, where did you get it?"

"Oh, that, um—" Touko swallowed nervously and picked up the unique piece of jewelry. "N gave it to me shortly after I was forced to stay at the tower."

"And you accepted such a personal gift from him?"

"A lot happened, okay?" She really wanted him to get off her back about it. How could she tell her guy friend about her feelings toward her capture? It was different from Belle, who saw something like this as if it were all a fairy tale.

"May I see it?" He held his hand out, expecting her to just hand it over without question.

And that's what she did. "Be careful with it," she grumbled, slipping the necklace over her head and handed it over to her friend.

Cheren looked at the odd piece of jewelry and had to admit, it was beautiful in it's own way. He was about to give it back until he heard the faintest "zssch" sound come from it. Furrowing his brows, he brought it closer to his ear and was able to hear it more clearly.

Gasping, Touko was shocked, appalled and most of all, angry when she saw Cheren chuck the necklace to the ground, grab a rock and smash it. She grabbed onto his shoulders, pulling with all her might in hopes of pulling him back but he didn't budge.

"Stop it!" Angry tears formed in the corner of her eyes and she began to pound her fists onto his back. "What are you doing, stop!"

"Ouch! Sto— Touko!" Cheren reached behind and grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward.

She landed on the ground with a thud and a curse before glaring up at her 'friend.'

"Why are you doing this?"

"Look," he pointed to the now shattered pieces of the necklace.

"What?" She huffed angrily, looking at the destroyed link she had to N.

"This," he moved the pieces around until a slim silver chip was left in the middle with a fast blinking red light at the tip. "It's a tracker. Or I'm assuming it is because he has been able to follow you everywhere you go."

"No, no... " Touko whispered in denial, looking at the small harmless electronic. It was no wonder he was able to find her so easily.

_**"Great," His smile was tense as he walked up to her to place a small kiss on her forehead. "And if you hide anywhere else, don't worry, I'll find you and bring you back here where it's safe."**_

It was what he said back at the tower when he was ready to leave to fight the rebels who dared to attack his home base.

No wonder he knew.

Anger surged through her once again, boiling through her veins when she remembered his smug voice about how he would find her and bring her back there. Where it's safe.

Without thinking, Touko grabbed the rock from Cheren's hands and smashed the tracking device herself. Looking, she saw that the red light had completely died but paranoia got the better of her and she gave it a couple more smashes before feeling satisfied.

"I can't believe he, why, I don't—" She continued to mumble to herself, uncaring of the few stray tears that ran down her dirty face.

Cheren watched her closely, the gears in his head head turning slowly at the events unfolding before him. So even the enthusiastic trainer Touko had such a side to her.

"I'm assuming the reason, now, that he wasn't able to keep up was because the places you two chose to hide in. Interference with the device made it difficult for him to track you completely."

Touko didn't speak anymore, letting the words sink in before sniffling. Cheren sighed, not in annoyance, but because he did not know how to comfort a sad female, especially one so dear to him. Some friend he was.

"You can cry if you want, on my shoulder, or something. But if you don't want me to see, I'll turn my back and pretend to see and hear nothing."

But Touko wasn't that strong. She needed the support. She scooted forward and laid her head in the crook of his shoulder before allowing herself to sob. Cheren let himself get more comfortable against the cave wall, feeling more relaxed now that he didn't have to worry about being tracked anymore.

He wrapped a single arm around her shoulder and waited silently until all her grief was let out.

. . .

Hoshi looked himself once again in the mirror, adjusting the collar of his Plasma uniform yet again before finally feeling satisfied.

Early in the morning Ghetsis had requested his audience in his office later that day, which happened to be in the basement of Liberty Garden. He had only been down there a few times, and that was to report for important missions and stock.

It was where the sage kept his rare Pokemon. Which was why not just anybody was invited down there.

Breathing in deeply and exhaling slowly, Hoshi made his way out of his room and started to head down to where he was requested. It was nearing supper time so not many other grunts were seen patrolling the area. Everyone nodded their head respectively towards him, as always, even if he did get laid off work for awhile. He just didn't expect to be called back on the job so quickly.

Upon reaching the main floor, he stepped out from the elevator and made his way to a pair of grand looking doors. He pressed the little white button on the side and looked up into the camera above him.

Moments later a light buzzing sound was heard and Hoshi was granted access. He opened the doors, stepped through and closed them right behind him. From here he was to walk through a large dimly lit hall way. It was utterly silent, save for the few cries from the Pokemon he heard straight down the hall where Ghetsis' office was located.

He began to feel his palms grow sweaty as he grew nervous the closer he got. But his pride made him continue walking forward with strength he wish he truly had.

Moments later he walked into a brightly light room, making him wince a bit before his eyes quickly adjusted. He ignored the rare Pokemon in the cages to his side and stared straight ahead at the man sitting at a large cherry oak desk.

Said man was scribbling furiously on a piece of paper. There was a tense silence for two minutes before he dropped the pen and leaned back in his plush chair, stretching.

"Hoshi, it has been awhile."

"Sir," the grunt nodded.

"Let's get right down to business. What do you suppose we do to tighten security in Unova? There has been more and more rebels popping up and we need to take care of the problem quickly before it escalates."

"Well," Hoshi breathed in relief, placing his hands behind his back. "If you want to keep constant track on the rebels, trying to single them out won't be very helpful. Perhaps if you involved the whole population, you can keep track of everyone and take note of suspicious activity. For example, who goes into the forest a lot or large groups."

"Hrm, yes, that is a good idea. What would we use to track them, though? And what if they refuse?"

"We could always use a small chip that's placed under the skin at the back of their head. And if they refuse.. take away their rights. It's inhumane but do it bit by bit, so you don't lose respect or followers. For starters... If they don't get it, they can't travel. Then slowly work up to no entertainment, no food and so on."

"Yes, yes, I like the sound of that," Ghetsis grunted and folded his hands on his stomach. "Now, seriously, I'd like to know why you allowed, guided, those two to sleep with each other."

Hoshi felt himself tense up again. It wasn't over. "Truthfully, sir, I did not like the way you controlled his personal life. They both deserved a chance at love."

"You're under my wing!" The sage slammed his fist down on the desk angrily. "I only ordered you to help her to get the hell out of here as soon as possible! Took a whole damn year, which the time could have been spent conditioning N to do bigger and better things."

"But I did help her. I knew you were allowing those transmission from the rebels to come through so that I could talk to them in hopes of making plans for Touko to escape."

"Heh," Ghetsis chuckled without mirth. "You're smooth. I suppose you should also know that I knew it was you who convinced that little hussy to sleep with my son. You wouldn't believe the rage I felt when I went to go fetch him from that meeting. After not seeing him in his office I went to check his room and what did I find? Both of them, naked."

Hoshi said nothing and watched the man behind the desk with a steady gaze.

"Was that perhaps a stunt to get back at me, hm? Toying with N's life so you think you could give him something I didn't want him to have?"

"Everyone wants, needs, love in their life. N is no different."

"Oh, but he is. No matter, I'm sure this will help me more than it'll help that hussy."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, after such a bonding and her escape, how do you think he'll react? Will he be happy she's gone? Of course not! Sad? Absolutely! Raving, fucking mad? Oh yes. And I'll use that to my advantage."

Hoshi paled and cursed himself for not thinking of that outcome. Of course N would turn demented after such an event. He wasn't exactly normal, because of how he was raised, so the probability of him going crazy was very high.

"I think that ends our meeting," The sage declared before standing and walking around his desk. "But I'd like you to see something first."

The Plasma member stared warily at the older man before giving a small nod.

"Excellent! Just wait right here." He walked off further into the cages until the younger male couldn't see him anymore.

Moments later Ghetsis came walking out and behind him was a Pokemon Hoshi thought he would never see in his existence.

"Kyurem... "

"Fascinating, isn't he? He was pretty hard to capture but well worth it."

"How did you—"

"Capture? Well those times I sent N letters saying I was at his castle, working on stuff was a lie. I was actually hunting down this big bastard," he barked out a laugh and stepped aside for the Pokemon to step forward. "Hoshi, I must really, truly thank you."

"For what?" Hoshi furrowed his brows, wondering what this crazy old coot was going on about.

"For," He snapped his fingers and it all happened so quickly.

Kyurem swung a wing forward, one of two spikes from the tip ripped through his skin and pierced Hoshi's heart.

"Everything." Ghetsis finished with a smile before walking calmly over to his desk and sitting down.

Hoshi coughed, blood sputtering forward onto his uniform and Kyurem's wing. Instantly he knew he didn't have enough time, not enough to try to get help, not enough to scream out in pain or to cough up the blood that was gushing into his lungs. In the last few seconds of his life, he pictured his loving wife, smiling at him while she held her bulging stomach before his vision faded to black.

Ghetsis watched, fascinated, as the life left the eyes of his former Plasma team leader until another voice interrupted his concentration.

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Harmoni— OH MY GOD!"

Rozi stopped after she entered the room and saw the state of her former leader and co-worker. A shaking hand made it's way over her mouth to prevent her from screaming her head off and running away. Her eyes swiftly darted between Hoshi, the legendary dragon and the great sage.

"Yes, I did want to see you, Rozi. Please don't mind Hoshi, here. He was just hanging out for awhile. But please, do come forward."

Shakily the blonde walked forward, trying her best not to look at the already decaying corpse.

"Here's a pen, please sign here."

She did, without questioning and without reading.

"Great. From now on, you're to lead the Plasma squad. Don't screw up."

. . .

A/N: R.I.P HOSHI. ( And a big thanks to my Beta, Blackrose105 )

I planned this since I introduced him. I thought "He's an OC, not many people like OC's." But then I get so many reviews saying how you like and love him, etc. IT BROKE MY HEART, I'M SO SORRY.


	21. Chapter 21

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Twenty One.

. . .

N almost believed he was going to go blind with complete and utter rage.

He had difficulty tracking down Touko, using his middle bracelet which happened to have a hidden transmitter that projected a holographic screen that could pinpoint his friend anywhere in Unova. He just hadn't plan on losing the signal multiple times throughout most of the day.

When he thought he finally had a lead on her around the area close to her home town, the blinking red dot on the screen suddenly disappeared, vanished, as if it never existed.

Multiple chills ran down his back while ice ran through his veins. He yelled out in half anguish, half madness, feeling more betrayed than ever at this action. Why?

Why did she run when he offered her safety? A place to sleep? Had she been unhappy this whole time? Was she just lying to his face every time she smiled?

She found out about the tracker in his necklace. If he had to guess, it would be someone else found out about it and told her. She most likely wouldn't have suspected him of any of it. So she would also be facing a sense of betrayal from him but if only he was there to make her understand that it was only for her safety.

'There could be a chance that she was taken against her will,' he first thought but remembered that Rozi said she left on her own, she chose to leave.

The ice in his veins began to mingle with the boiling fire that passed through.

N never knew he could feel such anger towards another person. Sure, he felt strong dislike for the way the trainers treated their Pokemon as if they were slaves, but he definitely felt something stronger towards Touko.

Hate, perhaps?

He didn't know at the moment, he felt too frazzled, too disoriented, too... everything. It was so much to take in all at once.

Reshiram flapped his powerful wings once to stay in place while the wind current helped. He looked back at his master, uncertain of his orders and growled out.

This snapped N out of self wallowing despair mind and shook his head. He couldn't let Reshiram doubt him or see him as weak, surely the legendary Pokemon would see him unworthy and leave.

They had no choice but to head back to Liberty Garden.

Upon arriving back at the castle, N felt no regret or responsibility at leaving the place in such a state. While the inside was in tact, the outside had suffered the most of the attack. He now saw that this was clearly a distraction just so they could take his... 'friend', so they kept the damage minimal but most of the top floor suffered the most damage.

Plasma grunts were scattered around the tower, cleaning up the rubble and placing reusable bricks into one pile while discarding the rest. They bowed when their king walked by before returning to work but the young male didn't acknowledge this and only continued to walk forward until he was inside the building.

N walked forward until he reached the elevators and waited for the lift to come down so you could go up.

"You're finally back," a gruff and irritated voice sounded from behind the king, making him turn around.

"I am, father."

"Do tell what you were doing this whole time while your tower has been in shambles?"

"... "

"Very well. Let's get on to business. There's a way we can get those rebels—"

"I don't feel like talking business right now."

Ghetsis felt anger rise inside him at the easy dismissal and grunted, "Just because you're simply not in the mood to discuss important matters, it's your duty as king. I expect you in the gold meeting room within two hours." And with that, the elder Harmonia turned on his heel, heading in the direction of his office.

N sighed and turned around, stepping into the lift that was waiting and punched the button to take him to the top floor.

He couldn't feel, he felt too numb, the emotional roller coaster today's events brought him taking its toll. There was so many things he wished he could do. Cry, scream, punch something, cry some more and just wilt away from life.

He had never felt so empty, so cold, not even when his father had brought a beaten and bleeding Axew to his room when he was younger. It felt like he couldn't even breathe. He wanted, no, needed her here, in his bed, in his arms. It was where she belonged, naturally.

Once the elevator gave a soft 'ding' signaling the arrival on his destined floor, N walked out, dragging his feet and shoulders sagged. He must look so pathetic right now but he didn't care, not even when some grunts cast strange looks in his direction.

He headed for his room, not bothering to go back to his office, what used to hold cherished memories were now stained by horrible ones.

When he walked through the door, he saw Anthea cleaning the surface of his night stand while Concordia changed his bed sheets with fresh new ones. He stood there watching them as they tried their best to remove everything that belonged to her, including the clothes in the closet and the stuff in the bathroom.

It was like watching a movie in slow motion.

He didn't even budge when they began to lead him to the bed, stripping his shirt off but leaving his undershirt and pants on before laying him down. They had some difficulty lifting his legs onto the bed but he didn't feel bad about it.

Each goddess gave a kiss on each cheek, tucked him in and shut off the light before leaving the room.

N didn't care how much time he wasted there, didn't care about some damn meeting his father wanted him to go to. He just wanted to be left alone to wilt.

. . .

Touko and Cheren waited in the cave until sundown came, which almost drove them both insane.

After her little meltdown, Touko started taking her anger out on Cheren, which he didn't take very well and responded just as hotly. They would go at it for an hour before apologizing but then one or the other would find fault at something the other did and the arguing would just start up again.

It was stupid but they both knew they just needed to vent on something or someone. Namely each other.

Relief flooded through them when Touya contacted them on the walkie-talkie, confirming that it was now safe to head back to the main base. They opted to ride on Touko's Zebstrika and Stoutland, believing it would be safer to stay low for awhile longer and the base wasn't that far off from where they were.

The ride back was filled with half-assed banter between the two, both never staying on a single subject for more than five minutes but stayed away from the sensitive ones. Cheren ,stepped on a landmine when mentioning that Touko's hair was like a rats nest and that she needed to chop it all off, start from square one and re-tame the wild beast. In turn, she made fun of his glasses, saying it added to his geeky style of chess, book loving life.

"Books are resourceful and a way of life!" He had shouted at the top of his lungs, making her burst out laughing.

Once they arrived to the first line of defense for the main base, both trainers hopped off the Pokemon but Touko didn't bother calling them back to their balls, allowing them to roam free after being cooped up for ages. Instead she took in the destructive sight the forest went through in front of her. Many trees were broken down but some Pokemon were already repairing them with their silk. Among the ground there was some pot holes ranging from small to extremely large.

"How is everyone?" Touko asked a person who was walking by holding a arm full of wood.

"Everyone is fine. We managed to escape with minor scrapes, cuts and bruises." He bowed to her, in respect or just to be polite, Touko didn't know.

She spotted the guy who stood from the bushes, yesterday, to inform Touya and Red of their arrival and jogged up to him. "Where is Belle?"

"She's right in there, getting bandaged up." He pointed to a small medical tent that was completely covered with branches and leaves.

She walked over briskly, fearing the worst until Belle herself stepped out from the sent, wincing ever so slightly until she caught sight of her friend and a broad smile stretched across her face.

"Touko! I'm glad you're back safely."

"Are you hurt anywhere?" The brunette scanned her friend with frantic eyes, looking for any maimed or bloodied body parts. Belle waved her off.

"I'm dandy! I just have a few scraps on my knees, bruises on my arms and this nasty gash on my head." She lifted her blonde hair near her ear to show a short white bandage close to her ear.

Touko frowned and crossed her arms. She felt guilt welling up in her chest and Belle saw the look in her eyes immediately.

"Cheer up Touko! For it could always be worse." She grinned again.

Touko sighed but smiled back weakly. "Always looking on the brighter side. Maybe I should take notes from you."

At that moment Touya and Red emerged from the medical tent, both having neither scrapes or bruises on their skin.

Touko met her childhood friend's gaze but she looked away instantly, opting to look between the space of the two males instead. "Are you both alright?"

"I'm alright," Touya mumbled, noticing her awkward and cold actions.

"I'm fair," Red nodded to her politely. "I didn't know Twist Mountain was so fascinating. If I had known sooner I would have planned for a base to be set up there."

"You're so weird," Touya laughed halfheartedly and walked towards Touko until he was standing right in front of her. "How are you?"

"I—I'm fine," she stuttered and looks down at the ground. She could feel Belle's stare on them. "Hey, Red, how about showing me the main base now, I'm dying to know how it looks inside." She moved to go stand beside the other male but a firm hand latches onto her wrist and doesn't let go.

"Are you avoiding me?" Touya asks, brows furrowed.

"No, why would you say that?" Her voice sounded too chirpy, too fake.

"You've just been weird since last night."

"What are you talking about?" Touko laughs without mirth. "I haven't even seen you since yesterday."

"Exactly."

"Huh?"

"Why is it, when you had a choice between Cheren, Red and myself, you go with a person you barely know? No offense to you, Red."

"None taken."

"That is—"

"Hey Touya, why don't you leave Touko be for awhile, I bet she's tired—" Belle started out, trying to help her friend out of the messy situation but her crush literally crushed her.

"Please, Belle, the adults are trying to talk."

Belle felt her jaw drop, mouth opening with a pop. She stared wide eyed at Touya before furrowing her brows, curling her fingers to form a fist and punched his shoulder. Although she tried her best to cause damage, it only caused little discomfort.

"Hey, what was that for?"

"You idiot!" The blonde shrieked and stalked away to the direction of the base.

"You... " Touko began and felt her shoulders trembling, feeling her emotions getting on for another ride.

"Me?" Touya asked, sounding unbelievable shocked.

"You!" She shouted and whips around to her other friend. "Cheren, go catch up with Belle and comfort her."

"Why me?" He sighed but started moving in the direction Belle went.

"Because you were always there to cheer her up, you two are the best duo I know." 'And because if I comfort her in this matter, it would be a slap to her face.'

"Fine, fine," Cheren sighed again and picked up his pace to catch up.

"Touko, would you just talk with me in private for a moment, please?" Touya pleaded, his shoulders slumping slightly with dejection.

At that sight, a year ago and not knowing her best friends feelings, Touko would have jumped at the opportunity to get him alone but now she wouldn't do that, wouldn't betray sweet Belle like that.

"Sorry," she shook her head. "Not right now. Maybe after things cooled down a bit? Red, can you take me there now, please?" There was a slight whine in her voice and the foreign man took notice instantly.

"Of course, come along." He jerked his head lightly in the direction they were heading in and started walking, knowing she would follow.

Red showed her the outside of the base first, showing three different exits, that were all hiding under shrubs, to take just in case of an ambush or fire, etc. He then handed her her own personal identification card that she has to swipe through a panel for every single door she wanted to pass through, that's including the bathrooms.

Walking over to an area that had multiple bushes together, Red moved them until it revealed a round wooden door. It reminded Touko of a book she used to like as a child, 'Taru in Weezing Land', about a child who falls down a large plumping pipe and enters a world where Weezing ruled and there was slime and grime everywhere.

Being the gentleman, Red offered her to go first.

Touko gathered what little courage she had left and slid down. It was an extremely short ride but gave her a little adrenaline rush when the darkness surrounded her. She didn't think about what she was supposed to land on so she shrieked when she felt nothing for a second before landing flat on her bottom, hard.

"Ow... "

"Please move, I'll be on my way down."

Not just ready to stand, Touko instead rolled away a safe distance before Red came down moments later, landing perfectly on his feet. She frowned.

"Sorry, I should have warned you about that." There was the faintest signs of a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth and she chose to ignore it.

"No problem," she sighed before struggling to stand.

"Need help?"

"No, I'm fine." Her pride was already wounded and didn't need any further beating, no matter if the form was a nice beating.

The room they were in was small and had a single door with a card machine at the side.

Red gestured to it, allowing her to use her card for the first time.

Touko swiped quickly, feeling giddy when the door opened swiftly allowing them access.

He showed her all of the important areas of the base, which was a single large meeting room, where they usually all meet once a day, the secret rooms to hide in and the training rooms which looked like they were being put to good use. Everything was kept simple, no fancy marble floors, paintings, pictures of statues in the hallways and everything was either white, grey, black or red. White floor, grey chairs and tables, black doors and red buttons.

The base had many other hallways but they were mostly bedrooms, some bathrooms and one large kitchen.

All in all, it was a cozy base but not cozy enough to call home. Touko believed that everyone staying here must feel homesick.

"What are my first duties as... leader?" She asked, feeling a tad weird calling herself one.

"First duty? Get a good nights rest." Touko was about to protest but a sharp glare from the dark haired male silenced her instantly. "The dark circles under your eyes tell me otherwise. Get some sleep and we'll talk more in the morning."

Flushed and embarrassed, Touko mumbled, "Thank you."

"This is your room. You'll be sharing with Belle," he led her down a hallway not far from the meeting room, stopping at the first door.

"Okay. Thanks, again. Good night."

"Night." He went further down the hall and into his own room.

Touko entered, half expecting Belle to be inside but was disappointed when the blonde wasn't present. 'Cheren must still be talking to her.'

She stripped down to her underwear, flinging her clothes into a messy pile beside the bottom bunk bed before crawling under the blankets.

Touko didn't like this, at all. It felt so odd not sleeping in his bed. The bed felt too stiff, the blankets had no scent to them, nor did the pillows. They were too fluffy.

She sighed and scolded herself for being so ungrateful and after a few minutes she was fast asleep with indecisive dreams to plague her again.

When Touko awoke the next morning, it was due to the sound of someone stumbling around in the room without the lights on.

"Belle?" she asks in the darkness, her voice thick and groggy from sleep. "Is that you?"

"Oops, did I wake you? I'm sorry." Belle whispered back.

"No, it's fine. Turn on the light."

Moments later the room was flooded with light and the brunette had to blink and scrunch her eyes several times before she was use to the light. She spotted Belle balancing herself on one foot and her other leg was bent while she was trying to slip her sock on.

"Why don't you sit down and do that?"

"I didn't want to wake you."

"Oh, I'm awake now so you can sit down."

Their short conversation was awkward, but not as awkward as the silence that followed it. Belle sat on the bed and was able to put her sock on properly before putting on the other.

"Sorry," Touko blurted suddenly.

Belle blinked, shocked, then laughed. Touko frowned, confused.

"Don't worry. It's my own fault for being so emotional over a guy."

'We're in the same boat!' the brunette screamed mentally before shaking her head. "It's not your fault."

"It's all good, Cheren talked some sense into me. And it's not your fault that Touya is still trying to pin after you, even though you reject all his advances."

"I'm going to reject him properly. I don't want to give him false hope of the two of us becoming an item." Touko declared, determined.

Belle only smiled and began to hum while putting her her shoes on. "I think it's best that you get dressed. We usually have our meetings after waking up, then we can have breakfast before we attend to our duties."

"What are your duties?" Touko asked before getting out of bed, stretching, and going to the small closet located in the corner of the room. There was only white or black clothes inside. Very tasteless.

"On some days I'm outside on the third line of defense, others I'm in here, training my Pokemon."

Touko took out a white shirt, black pants and black socks from the closet, tugging them on quickly before looking over at her friend. "I assume this is what we all wear?"

"Uh huh." Belle walked over and tugged something out of her pocket before presenting it to the brunette: A white and black Pokeball pin.

"What's this for?"

"It's a badge that symbolizes that you are the leader in this organization. Everyone else has plain silver pins," she pointed to the one on her shirt before smiling. "People will know who you are by wearing this, but even if you aren't wearing it you're not hard to recognize."

"It's weird being singled out like this," Touko admitted while taking the pin and fingered it for a moment before putting it in the area above her breast.

"Don't worry, you'll have friends to support you along the way. We're not just going to force you to the front of the battlefield, we'll be standing close behind."

Touko managed a small smile before gesturing Belle to the door. "Shall we?"

Touko and Belle arrived at the meeting room within minutes of leaving their room. There was already a few people seated at the big table, some faces familiar, some others were new. They waved their hands until the brunette got closer and closer, seeing who she was and the colour of her badge.

Touko nearly jerked back in surprise when they, the people who hadn't seen her in person yet, all stood up and bowed towards her.

"Miss Touko!"

"Sit down you guys, you'll scare her on her first day," a guy gruffed lazily. He was at the Whites house the other day.

Those who stood up mumbled their apologies with embarrassment before taking their seats again. Everyone began to chatter among themselves, secretly sneaking glances at their now present leader.

Belle went to the end of the table and took a seat, Touko following closely behind and was about to sit down as well but the blonde stopped her.

"Whoa, not there."

"Eh? Where am I suppose to sit?" Belle pointed to the head of the table, where the chair looked slightly more bigger and comfortable. "Another way to single me out." Touko grumble halfheartedly but sat there anyways.

"You'll get used to it. Soon all of this leader stuff won't bug you as much as it does now." Belle assured her with a smile.

"I hope so."

Ten minutes flew by too quickly for Touko's taste. During that time more members entered, people who hadn't seen her bowed furiously while the ones who saw her just waved.

Touya, Cheren and Red were among those people but they did neither bow or wave, instead they just went to Touko's side and greeted her with a 'good morning'.

Cheren took a seat on the other side of the table, opposite of Belle while the other two male stood beside her.

"It looks like everyone is here. Belle, can you hand out these folders. There's not enough so one folder for two people, they will have to share." Red spoke in monotone.

"He's not a morning person," Touya whispered in Touko's ear. She laughed dryly.

"Sure," The blonde chirped, stood and took the folders from his hands and went around the table handing them out.

"Now in these folders—" the older male started out but a loud cough from down the table interrupted him. "Yes?"

It was a young female with a blonde bob and blue eyes. She was all smiles and total perkiness. "Aren't you going to introduce her to everyone?"

"We're in a meeting—" Cheren spoke next, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"But we've been waiting for her for a whole year. A simple introduction would satisfy the masses." People mumbled in agreement.

Red sighed and motioned for the brunette to stand. "Everyone, this is Touko White, the person who you all been waiting for, and the leader." Everyone clapped excitedly, especially the outspoken girl.

"My name is Daizy!"

"Daizy, shut up and calm down." Cheren muttered darkly.

"Hmph," she huffed and sat back down in her seat, arms crossed and pouting.

Belle had passed out all of the folders, leaving two more for her to share with Cheren and one for Touko alone.

"As I was say," Red sighed, opening his own folder. "In these folders, you will find your duties for the rest of the week, as well as breaks, lunch and supper times. If you have a problem with something, please come to Touya or myself and we will see if we can arrange something to fit your needs."

"If you all turn to the last page, you will see that every single one of you will have a time and chance to battle our very own leader," Touya spoke this time and nudged Touko softly. Everyone at the table mumbled to each other excitedly.

"What?" She whispered harshly, not knowing this before hand.

"If you want to kick some Plasma ass, you're going to have to train." Belle whispered helpfully. "Everyday someone's always battling someone, every hour."

"Oh," Touko frowned and settled down once again, flipping through the papers.

"Of course she will only have a battle once a day and once a week we'll increase to two battles a day, than three and so on until her and her team are strong enough. By then, everyone should be up to par and ready."

"Ready for what?" Touko asked curiously, closing her own folder and placing it on the table.

"For battle." Red muttered, his eyebrows pinching together. "Breakfast. Everyone's dismissed."

"He just wants his coffee," Belle jerked her head towards the older male and Touko chuckled.

Everyone started to get up and head down in the direction of the kitchen where a warm breakfast awaited them with water, juice and coffee. Touko also rose from her seat, taking the folder along with her so she could study it and her schedule more closely until a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her from rising.

"We have to talk." Touya's eyes bore down in her own and she swallowed.

"Alright." The brunette looked over at her friend who stared at them both with a friend. "I'll join you in a bit, Belle," she reassured her with a smile.

"Okay," she whispered, giving a watery smile before leaving the room with Cheren and Red.

Once all was cleared out, Touko swirled her chair around until she was facing Touya. She stared at him with an emotionless face and he just furrowed his brows at her. They were silent, neither wanting to talk first, until she couldn't stand it anymore.

"If all you wanted was a staring contest, I'll forfeit. I'm hungry."

"Don't leave," he pleaded when she showed signs of standing once again.

"Then tell me what's on your mind, Touya. It must be important if you're holding me back from breakfast and duties."

"Is that what I'm doing? Holding you back?"

Touko bit her lip. "I didn't mean it to come out that way."

"Right," he grumbled and crossed his arms.

'Awkward,' her mind screamed before she sighed. "Did you need to ask me something?"

"Yes. Why did you ride with Red? Why didn't you ride with me?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it does! It looked as if you didn't trust in my abilities to protect you. We know Unova better than him, we could have hid out in many places not shown on any local map."

"This isn't about hiding," She confirmed.

"No, it isn't. I'm just wondering why didn't you choose me?"

"I thought it would be obvious," she mumbled softly, wishing her heart would stop aching. She couldn't avoid breaking his heart.

"Well it wasn't. What happened since I left? Did you meet someone else?" Her eyes flashed, widening.

"You knew?"

"I did. You displayed your feelings on your sleeves."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I was leaving to travel Kanto and Johto. I didn't want to confront your feelings right before I was leaving. I didn't want to leave you waiting, not knowing when I was coming back."

"Then you should have expected that someone else would obviously enter the picture."

"I should have. But you've liked me for many, many years. I've only been gone for, what, two years? I came back after hearing about you being captured. You don't know the thoughts that entered my mind after that. One of them was I planned to coax you into traveling with me, where you would be safe."

"You would have taken me on your journey?" She asked, surprised. As far as anyone knew, Touya liked to travel alone, mainly because he saw that everyone's pace was too slow and he was all about go, go, go.

"Yes, if it meant keeping you safe and near, I would have."

"What about your feelings."

"I've liked you for a long time, too."

"Why didn't you ever confess?"

"Why didn't you?"

"Because you never showed anything to me but friendship. For all I knew, you were all about dreams and Pokemon. I was positive that you never had thoughts of having a girlfriend."

"I wanted to complete my dreams, that's true, before anything else. But after I would have definitely come back for you."

"Did you ever think that I would have moved on?"

"No, because you've liked me for so long, I thought you would continue to do so."

How right he was, Touko mused. If she hadn't been forced to stay in Liberty Garden, she was sure that her feelings for Touya would remain the same as it was last year. But the reality of it was, her enemy now held her heart. She wouldn't dare tell anyone that, though, in case they thought of her as a traitor.

"I'm sorry. All of this would be so much easier if I still had feelings for you."

"I'm taking it this is your rejection."

"Yes."

They were silent for a moment before Touya sighed and gave his head a shake. "Alright. If this is the end of it then I have one request."

"What is it?"

"A kiss."

Touko blinked. Once. Twice. A cough. "Are you serious?"

"Of course," he smiled deviously. "I've always dreamed of kissing you one day, of course in those dreams we were in love."

"No."

"Eh?"

"No," she rejected again before finally standing up, folder in hand. "You may think that it's a good sign to part ways, but if I give you one kiss, your hopes may rise if I give in to that request, no matter how innocent it sounds. I can't do that."

"I see. Very well then," Touya stepped back to give her space and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I know you'll find someone better, worthy of you, Touya. Hey, she might even be in the base," she gave a small smile before heading towards the kitchen.

No matter how her heart ached at his pained expression, she knew it was for the best. She was just glad that they both talked it out before it could possibly become a problem later.

. . .

A/N: This chapter is pretty tame. And boring. Sorry. :C


	22. Chapter 22

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Twenty Two.

. . .

A month has passed since the first official meeting Touko was present. Her first day was just to wonder around the compound and observe. Her folder came with a map so she could navigate her way around without having to ask busy people which way she's suppose to go, even having to go as far as finding and memorizing where the emergency exits were hiding.

The second day, at the meeting, few people requested to switch a few of their routines around and that was it basically all that was going on during regular meetings. Even if no one had nothing to change or complain about their schedules, they all attended in the morning just in case there was bits and pieces of information to be heard.

After Red declared the meeting over, Daizy dashed over to Touko's side and dragged the stuttering leader down the halls to one of many training rooms.

Apparently the eager blonde had begged both Touya and Red to allow her first dibs on battling Touko, offering to do bathroom clean up duty for the rest of the week if they granted her this one wish.

They accepted without second thoughts. Everybody hated bathroom duty.

Touko had to leave Zekrom out of the battle, it's a rule especially for her because it would be an unfair fight against the others.

The battle lasted a total of five minutes. Touko lost unexpectedly and Daizy was frozen stiff, mouth wide open with shock.

"How could this be?" The blonde managed to whisper after a few minutes of trying to work her vocals again. Her eyebrows pinched together in anger before whipping out her walkie-talkie, screeching for either Touya or Red to come over to the room.

Red had came, alone, moments later and glanced between the two, took in all of Touko's fainted Pokemon and Daizy's red face before realization dawned on him.

"You lost."

"I did," Touko mumbled, looking down at her defeated comrades, hoping the pain wouldn't show on her face.

"Red, this is absurd! Isn't our leader suppose to be the mightiest of us all? Stronger? How are we suppose to follow someone who's weak against one of the weaker members of this operation?"

"Calm yourself. Touko has been without Pokemon for a year, she is most likely out of the loop and rusty on her skills."

"Right,"she nodded in understanding but still felt a twinge of disappointment. She was seriously looking forward to an amazing battle of her ass getting kicked.

"Touko, you will have time off to train, by yourself, to get the feel of battling again."

"How long until I can battle?"

"When you're ready, no matter how long it takes, only then will you have a proper battle."

So for the next month Touko had trained every day along with her Pokemon, first exercising them through beginner courses they had set up for the newbies, then one by one she did her best to recall each of their moves before allowing them to battle against each other. It wasn't easy for her Pokemon either, as they struggled to get the feel of battling as well.

One morning Touko woke up and suddenly remembered Hoshi's letter and pokeballs. She quickly got dressed and headed to the meeting room, sat down in her regular chair and waited for everyone else to come in.

When Touya entered and saw her, his first action was looking everywhere else but Touko, but after taking a deep breathe he looked towards her and gave a uneasy smile.

Relief flooded Touko, glad that her childhood friend was willing to try and make things less awkward by still acknowledging her instead of avoiding her. She sent her own nervous smile before looking towards the other people entering the room.

Once everyone was present the meeting began. Red had asked for progress on training, skills and if there had been any enemy alerts. Nothing out of the ordinary except for a few Plasma grunts lurking around but hadn't gotten too close to the first defense. He declared the meeting over.

"Red, can you stay behind, I need to have a word with you."

"She's going to confess!" Daizy squealed loudly before running out of the room laughing. She was still butt hurt over the pathetic battle she won.

Everyone started to walk to the door slowly, hoping to catch a few words of the conversation while sending curious glances at the two people staying behind.

"There is nothing going on here folks, move on!" Touya demanded and began to push people of the room, huffing with annoyance. He didn't believe she was going to confess but what Daizy said still annoyed him.

"Good luck!" Belle teased good naturally before skipping out of the room.

"Why are you still here, Cheren?" Touko asks, hoping not to sound rude. Luckily her friend was not the type to take such offense.

"I got scouting duty with Red. We have to leave soon as possible."

"Scouting?"

"Yes," Red murmurs and sits down, taking a large sip of his coffee before explaining. "We have a list of people on the list who wish to relocate closer to home, so we're going to travel to other bases and see if anyone wishes to come to the main base for a few months to replace those people for awhile."

"Oh. Well I was wondering if you could take me to Nacreen City so I can finally drop these pokeballs and letter to Seira, Hoshi's wife."

"Of course. We'll take you there but then you will have to travel along with us since we're booked for time."

"Which wont be smart," Cheren adds in. "Having the face of our hero out and about is too risky. We will deliver them for you."

"No way, I refuse to hide like that."

"He has a point," Red reasons but shrugs. "But we can do this for you."

"You're too easy going, man... " Cheren scowls but doesn't press the matter.

"Then you must have a hard time trying to read me if all you can come up with is 'easy going'," Red encounters and stands. "We will leave in an hour. Pack what you need, we'll be gone for at least a week. This will also give you a chance to battle against wild pokemon for training."

"Right, thanks" Touko smiled and watched the older male leave the room, coffee mug in hand.

"That guy" Cheren huffs roughly and headed for the door as well. "He's too damn cocky and confident."

"More than you?"

"Yes"

"I can see why you're offended."

Touko left the room before Cheren could start a new triad about how snarky and careless she was and went to the room she shared with Belle. The blonde was waiting there, as the brunette expected her to be, with a plate filled with two eggs, bacon and a muffin.

"So, did he return your love?"

"Sadly, no, he declared that he loved snowy mountains more than me."

Belle bursted out laughing and set the plate down for Touko. "So what's going on?"

Touko explained to Belle she had to leave the base for awhile, that she was going to finally stop by Seira's place to drop off the letter and pokeballs, then she was going to a few other bases to see if anyone wanted to transfer here.

Belle frowned, feeling worried and sad that her friend was leaving but leans in to give her a hug and wishes her luck before leaving the room to attend her duties.

Touko ate in silence, already missing her ditzy blonde friend, finishing up what was on her plate quickly before getting up to pack everything she needed, finding a black duffel bag under the bed to use.

All too soon she heard a sharp knock on the door and stood up, bag slung over her shoulder, walking over to the door and opening it.

Red and Cheren stood on the other side, their own bags in hand.

"We will be traveling on ground, fast. So use your Zebstrika," Red informed her briskly as they walked down the hall.

"Traveling by air is too dangerous, I assume?"

"Yes, even if it is quicker."

They left the base, going out from one of the emergency exits, because when building the base no one had thought about making a proper exit door to leave, only a secure way to get in.

Once outside, Touko, Cheren and Red all called out their pokemon, Zebstrika,Liepard, and a spring Sawsbuck, a pokemon the older male borrowed from one of the people on base.

They all mount, Touko and Cheren ready to take off but Red halts them.

"Pikachu," he calls out to the forest and moments later a yellow blur jumps from the trees and onto Red's back before climbing up over his shoulder and sliding down to the front.

"Pika pi!"

"You don't keep him in your pokeball?" Touko asks, looking at the little pokemon in fascination and wonder. It surely wasn't a Unova Pokemon so he must have gotten all kinds of looks and questions about him.

"No. He is my first pokemon and most loyal friend."

"He's not your first friend?"

"Nope, that title belongs to some other asshole."

Touko wanted to pry but scolded herself, remembering that there was more important stuff to do. She gave one last curious glance to the yellow rodent before Red took off ahead, Cheren and herself following close behind.

The ride was a long one. Many times they had to call their Pokemon back to their Pokeballs to walk through towns when there was no way around them. Security was getting tighter and tighter by the day. At times they had to separate themselves from Red because Pikachu didn't have a Pokeball and the foreign trainer had to show his visiting card to suspecting Plasma members.

Cheren had packed a cap and ugly coat for Touko so she could hide her hair and not draw attention to the clothes she usually wore. There were people around who knew what she looked like and were rooting for N's side. No doubt they would turn her in, in a heart beat.

Two days later they arrived in Nacreen City. The community was bustling with trades goods, obviously the people here weren't affected with what was going on with Unova, as long as they had something to sell.

Red had stayed behind, deciding to wait one hour before coming to find them to avoid suspicion. It wouldn't do any of them good if they were seen traveling with a foreigner.

Touko pulled out an envelope and checked out the address written messily on the front. She gave a fond smile at the writing and headed in the direction of the houses, checking out the numbers on the houses before finally reaching one-fifty-one.

"This is it," Touko mumbled standing in front of the modern brown building.

"Looks safe enough," Cheren huffed, taking note how all the other houses were boring colors, unlike in Castelia City where everything was about color and glitter.

"C'mon fashion house police, let's go inside."

Touko knocked on the door lightly and waited for a minute before knocking harder. After two minutes they assumed the older woman was out shopping and were planning to come back later but then the door opened suddenly in a large swoosh, revealing a disheveled looking pregnant woman.

"H—hello?" She squeaked in a soft voice, her face flushed. "Sorry, I tried to hurry but having a large beach ball in your stomach isn't making anything simple. How may I help you"

"Oh," Touko swallowed thickly, remembering a picture Hoshi showed her of his wife. She remembered that the woman didn't look all that Hoshi had praised but upon seeing her in person, she took all that back. Seira was glowing and she looked radiant. Despite the crooked nose, the life inside her made the older woman look beautiful. "Um, your husband asked me to deliver—"

"What about my husband?" Seira's eyes narrowed into slits and she crossed her arms over her bulging stomach. "Come on, what about him?"

'Forgot the jealousy,' Touko thought dryly and cleared her throat. "I'm not sure if Hoshi mentioned this or not—"

"Why would any man mention side mistresses?" She snapped and threw her hands up in the air dramatically. "I knew it, he's too handsome for his own good. He should have just kept his job as a boring office worker, than he wouldn't be off chasing hot, younger looking girls—"

"Seira! He sent me to give you these!" Touko shouted a tad too loud but took out the pokeballs and envelope from her bag, presenting them to the older woman. "He helped me for a year and helped me just a few months ago to escape Liberty Garden."

"Oh, " Seira dropped back into a calm mood but there was still a hint of distaste in the defensive way she stood. "You must be Touko then, the hero." She said the word as if the title meant nothing, obviously still a tad jealous, and took the items from the younger woman. "That's strange, why would he give me his Pokemon?"

"Said something about protection."

"I see. Well, come on in, I'll make you two some tea."

Touko and Cheren stepped into the house, closing the door behind them and took in their surroundings. The place didn't feel quite homey, but perhaps that was due to all the boxes that still needed to be unpacked. The walls were a plain white, peeling near the ceiling and the floors were cold white tiles.

"Lovely place you got," Cheren murmured, not bothering to hide his sarcasm and got elbowed in the ribs by the brunette. "Ow!"

"Hah!" Seira snorted from the kitchen and came out with a tray and cups of tea. "It was the best I could find on short notice, even if I told them that I'm Hoshi's wife, this was the best they could do for me. Come in, the couches aren't going to crumble when you sit on them. They were here when I moved in but I'm getting them removed once I find better couches in the catalog."

Both trainers removed their footwear and walked over to the couches, coughing when they sat down, puffs of smoke shooting out from the fabric. The older woman didn't look the least bit ashamed and poured the tea pot leisurely while humming a nameless tune.

Touko and Cheren took their cups and sipped the warm liquid, sighing in relief when they felt their muscles relaxing slightly.

Seira got to work on the envelope, not able to hold back any longer and tore it open. She unfolded the single leaf of paper and began to read, a huge smile on her face. Touko and Cheren began to worry though when her grin began to droop slowly into a frown and suddenly tears were running down her face.

"S—Seira?" Touko stuttered and was about to set her tea down but the other woman crumpled the letter in one hand before grabbing a saucer and throwing it at her. "Ouch!"

The tea spilled all over Touko, although it wasn't hot, it surprised her along with the china set smashing onto the floor.

"What's wrong?" Cheren demanded, grabbing a towel from the tray and began to pat Touko's clothes dry. "Couldn't you have passed it nicely instead of chucking it? I bet this china set is worth a lot of money."

"It's all your fault!" Seira screamed, ignoring the nerd and pointed an accusing finger at the younger woman. "If you hadn't gotten close to Hoshi then he would still be here!" She picked up her cup and threw that as well.

"What?" Touko dodged the cup, thankful that it landed on the couch and pushed Cheren's hands away before getting up and walking over to Seira. "Give me that!"

Before Seira could stuff the letter in her shirt Touko grabbed it and ran to the other side of the room. The older woman didn't bother getting up to chase after her, she just sat on the couch and wailed loudly, her arms encircling her stomach while she rocked back and forth.

Touko felt a pang of fear at the anguish sounds but forced her trembling fingers to open the crushed letter, smoothing out the crinkles with her thumbs.

'My dear Seira,

You have no idea how much I love you or how much you mean to me. I hoped one day that we could build a family with more than one kid, running around, asking for sweets that we would reluctantly give them. They would grow up to be as beautiful as you, or close, because your beauty rules over all.

But sadly when you receive this I will no longer be in this world. I have went against our leaders, not because I don't believe in what they're doing is good, but because I helped out a friend who believes in what is more right.

I hope you'll come to an understanding of this situation and help her out as much as possible. I have left you with my last check, which should help out with our baby's needs in the future.

I'll miss you so much, I wished to have seen you one last time. Please don't be angry or sad, I hope to always be in your heart if you find someone else down the road, even if I'm not number one anymore.

I will keep this short, although I'm sure you would want to strangle me for that if I was here.

I love you my wife, lover, my life.

Forever yours, even through death,

Hoshi'

Touko felt her throat constrict and tears began to pour down her face. She re-read the letter three times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating but it never changed.

It was all her fault, she realized as her brain began to prickle with a numbing feeling. His death was all because of her, not because he helped her escape but because he persuaded her to go along with seducing N. He must have felt that what Ghetsis was doing, by keeping N oblivious to women, was wrong and cruel.

If she had known he was going to die she wouldn't have left, she would have stayed. She should have been the one to die. She had friends and family, they would mourn her but Hoshi had a wife who was pregnant. The child would grow up with a single mother, struggling to raise him without help while trying her best to answer questions such as "Where is daddy?".

Touko crumbled to the floor and began to cry along with Seira's uneven sobbing and Cheren looked at them both frantically, unsure how to help two crying women at the same time. He let out a sigh of relief when Red stepped through the door, took in the situation and went over to Touko, taking the letter from her limp fingers.

He scanned letter quickly and frowned before squatting and rubbed the sobbing woman's shoulders.

"He's not in pain," he whispered softly. "He didn't suffer, it was quick."

"H—how would y—you know?" She hiccuped and bit her lip to stop the embarrassing sounds.

"From what I learned, Ghetsis isn't the type of man to drag out death, he seems like the type to get right to it, over and done with."

Touko said nothing and only cried more.

Red stood and walked over to Seira, who was still clutching onto her stomach, sobbing madly. He motioned for Cheren to go help Touko and placed his hand onto of the women who was probably only a few years younger than him.

"I am deeply sorry for your loss. I know no money in the world can compensate for his death but we will stop by in the next few months, years, to make sure you're getting along fine. We won't leave you alone, I promise."

She said nothing and didn't have the energy or will to slap his hand away.

"Let's go. We'll stop by again in three weeks."

"B—but Red, we can't just leave her l—like this!" Touko blubbered, her breathing turning somewhat back to normal.

"And I'm sure she doesn't want us hanging around to see her in such a state. We will do regular checkups so there is no need to worry. I'll leave this with her." He pulled out a small ripped piece of paper and set it on the coffee table. "She can contact us if she wants anything or needs help."

Touko was ready to protest but thought against it, knowing that arguing here and now wasn't good. She accepted the hand Cheren offered to help her off the floor, taking a deep breath once she was on her feet again and headed towards to doorway, refusing to look at Seira or else she might just collapse again.

Cheren and Red were right behind her, both saying their goodbyes to the sobbing woman and closed the door quietly behind them.

. . .

Ghetsis had had enough.

His son didn't mope.

His son shouldn't grieve.

Especially over some ex-trainer pet he decided to keep for almost a damn year.

Production in the company was going extremely slow due to their king moping in the bedroom. Three months had passed since that moment and he was sure that N would have gotten out of that slump within the first week, but no.

He had bended and allowed more time for him to get over his little loss but still, the youngster continued to be a shriveled little unplayed doll and stayed in bed all day. He was surprised the man hadn't turned into a complete vegetable, thanks to those two goddesses force feeding him soup everyday since the man refused to chew anything solid.

Ghetsis scoffed and ran a hand over his face, tired lines making themselves known in his old age.

And that girl.

Rozi.

What was he thinking making her captain of the squad? In meetings she seemed so confident and cocky, always putting down that daft woman N kept around, so he was sure that she would be a great, even better asset than Hoshi, but ever since she saw his dead body slumped over Kyurem's spike she'd been quaking in fear whenever he was around or in meetings.

Pathetic.

Can no one do their job around here?

And those goddesses!

They have gotten more attitude since that wench left, even when addressing him. Of course they were in N's charge but they should still treat him, a great sage, with respect!

Kicking them out would do no good, though. They do try their best to get that pathetic king to come around but whatever they were doing was not good enough. They were most likely coddling him, whispering sweet for good nothings in his damn ear like a little child.

But the king was not a child, he was man for goodness sakes! And he had a job to do.

That was it.

Ghetsis stood abruptly from the meeting, surprising the grunt who was talking and silenced him with a glare.

"Continue discussing amongst yourselves and I'll be back in ten, twenty minutes tops. No one leaves, not even to get a drink of water or to take a piss."

He stormed from the room and made his way down the hall to where his son slept all day. He didn't bother to knock on the door and walked right in, slamming it shut behind him.

N didn't even budge.

Growling, Ghetsis flipped the lights on and stomped over to the bed, ripping the sheets away.

The king had gotten extremely skinny these past months, although he was already slim to begin with, bones were now showing through stretched skin. He laid there, eyes open but dropping, lips thin and cracked. He was a mess.

But Ghetsis didn't give a damn. They had work to do and they couldn't do it without their king.

"Get up!" He bellowed but the younger man didn't budge. He snarled and grabbed N's shoulders forcing him to sit up before slamming him into the headboard where that would support him and he finally made a sound, groaning in pain.

"Why lie to yourself? You haven't changed," he spat in a disgusted voice and crossed him arms over his chest. "Wake up and listen. Hear the silence? That's your reward. Do nothing, get nothing."

There was a flicker of of movement in N's eyes and he slowly raised his head and looked up to his father's sneering face.

"Get over yourself and breathe in the air of deceit. Don't expect life to flow the way you want it to because you have to work for what you seek most. Laying around like a slug is not going to change anything, don't expect something."

N stared up at the older man and felt gears began to work sluggishly in his head. Ghetsis was right, he couldn't just lay here hoping she would come back. Because she wouldn't and he couldn't accept it. He rejected the idea of her even leaving. But that was the path she chose and she had probably moved on without him.

Ghetsis saw the change and posture in N's eyes and smirked to himself. All the boy needed was a small pep talk to get him moving and he was pleased with himself.

"There is a meeting going on right now. I expect you in twenty minutes." The Sage left, an air of triumph and victory surrounding him.

N stared at the door for only a moment before getting up and struggling to walk over to his desk for the intercom button. After pressing it, a bored female voice was overheard.

"Hello?"

"Concordia," N rasped and coughed, his throat raw and weak from being unused.

"M—my king?"

"Come to my room and tell Anthea to bring me some food. Solid food. I need help preparing for a meeting in fifteen."

"Yes, of course, my king!" The line went silent.

N breathed in and out slowly and waited for the two goddesses to appear. He stayed standing up, even if his weak legs protested. If he gave in and rested he would never regain his strength back. And he needed all the strength he can get.

A renewed vigor for life burst within him, consumed him. But it wasn't like the vigor someone got after receiving their first Pokemon or winning their first gym match. No, it was something more darker that gave him the urge to move forward. It was probably unhealthy but he didn't care, it gave him a drive he didn't have before and he was actually thankful his father finally came and talked to him.

Now he could finally move forward with the power of anger and hate building much too quickly. He would get his revenge. And when he finally recaptured the woman who stole his heart, he would make sure she was begging to never leave his side again.

. . .

A/N: New chapter is finally here! A big thanks to Blackrose105 who beta'd this chapter and a HUUUGE thanks to everyone who waited for so long. I will do my best to get my ass out of the emotional slump!


	23. Chapter 23

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Twenty Three.

. . .

Three years later...

'Lately, I've been thinking so strangely about the clouds and how they slowly seem to fade away. Maybe someday, we will find a way to disappear — just you and me.' Touko snorted at the naive thought and sighed soon after.

The brunette stretched in her spot, feeling satisfied after hearing a few bones crack and pop. She also wanted to scratch her scalp so badly, the short haired wig she sported nearly drove her insane with the urge to itch. But she resisted in case the synthetic piece came undone and fell off.

It was her day off, so Touko decided to go to the local library instead of staying coped up in the base that was located near Driftveil City, having moved there a year after her stay at the main base. When questioned about relocating, she simply said that she needed new surroundings and new things to do. Although she loved visiting her mother, as she couldn't do it often, and hanging out with her friends, she just couldn't bare to do the same things every day. She needed more to do, more to redeem. She just needed to be kept busy.

So when she's at a different base they always have new tasks that need to be done, which she gladly takes up on, and when it's her days off, she likes to go out and mostly hang out at the library, reading books what she believed normal kids read nowadays.

In the novels she had read so far, recommended by a blinged out teenage girl she bumped into, the conflict never seemed much of a conflict, since, in the end, the heroine and hero would end up together, happy in love. She was actually hoping for something more tragic, like a death, or perhaps for them to end up together, except knowing that something would always haunt one or the other.

Touko wanted to see struggle, just like how she felt her relationship is—was. She was positive that N had moved on after she left Liberty Garden but after leaving the main base and coming out to Driftveil City, she had seen the posters of her.

The picture he used was the one where both of them were getting their picture taken by Anthea, yet he was cropped out, leaving her alone on the "Wanted" poster. She was positive that version belonged to him. And the other said "Wanted DEAD", which she was also positive that it was made by Ghetsis himself. Both offered large sums of money.

She hadn't seen a program or a picture of N, but the rare moments she did, he looked horrible. Thin, dark circles around his eyes and frail. But his stance held power, his eyes holding no mercy. Everyone at the base made sure the TV was off when she was around, only allowing her movies and her own personal radio that had no political news channels.

Everyone was too overprotective of her and she felt suffocated. But no one wanted to take any chances. So they always had two people trailing after her when she went out, with her permission of course. They never stayed too near, in hopes of drawing less to no suspicion.

Touko lost interest in reading after watching one of her personal 'bodyguards' walk by with a stack of books in hand. It's just hard to forget with what's going on when they're constantly around her. So she stood, making sure her chair scraped loudly against the marble floor to alert her comrades of her departure. They would be following closely after her anyways even if she hadn't made a peep.

Once outside she began walking towards a cafe shop to get her usual drink before going back to the base. It was still in the middle of the day to be retiring back 'home' but there wasn't much she could do.

She stopped beside a post, her eye having caught a glimpse of one of the wanted posters. In that picture she looked so happy, glowing almost. It was the shot of her looking more natural and she could bet if they included N in the picture, he was looking down at her. She continued to stare for awhile longer before a voice shouted from the crowd.

"Hey! You!"

Twirling around, Touko took in the shockingly pale blond hair that bounced those perfect curls as the woman in uniform jogged on over to her.

'Oh shit,' Touko breathed in deeply to try and calm the rising panic within, coughed and deepened her voice. "What may I help you with, ma'am?"

"I've noticed you staring at this poster intently, have you seen this woman around?"

"Uh, no, I haven't—"

"It's important!" The woman grabbed her shoulders and forced Touko to look at her. "Its—" She stopped speaking and stared openly.

Touko knew then that Rozi recognized her through the whole get up. Her face was too slim, too feminine for a male. They stared each other down and the brunette swore she could see the gears spinning in the blonds head, working out kinks, such as why she was dressed as a male.

"Ma'am, please make this quick, I must be going... " Touko swallowed thickly when the other woman took her hand off her shoulder and gave a heated glare. She was ready to book it just in case the nutcase screamed out to her fellow Plasma members.

"I understand. If you see this... heathen, please bring her to Liberty Garden. As you probably have seen," she gestured to the poster. "There have been two types of those going around. It's your choice of which her fate rests in. If you pick the right person to go to, it will make everything so much easier for everyone, especially our King. Choose wisely and choose fast. I will be around the area again within the week. Pokemon Liberation!" Rozi shouted and saluted, nearly scaring Touko half to death, before walking back to the other grunts.

"Are you okay? What was that all about?" One of the bodyguards asked, both coming up on either side of her. "Did she say something?"

"She knows who I am."

"What?" Both men shouted and winced when Touko smacked the back of their heads.

"You two shouldn't be the ones drawing attention. Let's leave now, I got to move on."

Back at the base, Touko explained what happened. Everyone was surprised at the Plasma member leaving her like that without a fight but Touko wasn't. Gagging from the news she heard about the king and Rozi's words, everything would be so much more peaceful if she was back at Liberty Garden. If Rozi was even asking her to come back, things must be much more worse than she thought originally.

"I'm leaving. Tonight. She told me she would be back and I'm sure the next time we meet she will be taking me with her whether I like it or not."

"We will send you with two people to accompany you then," a older soft spoken woman declared, who was the leader of the base in Driftveil.

"No," Touko shook her head. "You're short on people as it is."

"Only because missions never go as smooth as I would hope," she gave a small lady like snort and nodded towards the younger woman. "Very well. I bid you a safe trip on your journey. If you will tell me where you're headed I will contact that base as well as Red."

"Fair enough. I'm thinking of going to Mistralton City."

"No, no, they have increased their security there due to civilians reporting that they have discovered the base there. Everyone is hightailing out of there as we speak before those Plasma junkies come crashing through. It's a shame, though, because you could have easily escaped on a aircraft if things got bad."

"Oh," Touko murmured and frowned, hoping everyone will escape safely. "What about...Opelucid City"?

"That is a good place. The town is small, roughly around seven thousand people living there and you can visit Iris and Drayden while you're there. But the visits would have to be brief and short since as gym leaders they are watched closely."

"Alright. I'll have my stuff packed within the minutes."

"Very well. I'll be at the back door."

The elder woman departed from the room to make some calls while everyone who was within the room said their goodbyes to the hero before she went off to collect her things.

Ten minutes later Touko was saying goodbye to the older woman before beginning her walk to her next destination. She would wait a couple hours after dark before taking out Zekrom to fly her to Opelucid City. She would avoid flying over towns lit up brightly so she wasn't given away.

The only thing Touko dreaded about this flight, aside from the possibly chance of being caught, was that she'll have free time. Free time meant thinking and she didn't want that at all.

. . .

"—and that is why, as people, as a whole nation, we must support this project to prevent our friends from facing harm ever game! To avoid unnecessary injuries during pointless pokemon battles! There's no need to pit these wonderful creatures against each other just for the sake of getting a simple designed pin. You can do sports for those, be active! Believe! Pokemon Liberation!" N shouted at last into the microphone.

People chanted right after before clapping, whistling and screaming their support. The king gave one last nod of approval before stepping off behind stage, Plasma members coming up to congratulate him on the 'epic' speech.

"It's the same one I always give," he murmured, picking up a bottle of water and taking a long swig from it.

"But at the same time it isn't!" A male shouted while practically bouncing on the spot. "It's altered every time you go up on a new stage!'

"That's true, you know!" A girl beside him gushed nervously.

New recruits.

They had to come with the king on his daily speech givings to get more of a gist of what this whole operation was all about. Most of the time it didn't annoy N, except for the ones who would not simply shut up.

The ones that annoyed him the most, though, were the girls who had hopes of having something more than a employee—boss relationship. Over the years he learned more about women from simple observation and asked Athena or Concordia questions. They were no longer hesitant answering him, not after what happened...

N felt his mood began to darken and stormed past the new recruits, heading towards the exit. By the door waiting was Rozi, who stood erect and stone faced. When he saw her a month later after that... incident, she was no longer the squealing girl always trying to hang off his arm. Instead she was jumpy, fidgety and kept her gaze away from him. As time progressed she lost the girly exterior and grew cold, just like himself.

It shocked the king to hear that Hoshi had resigned from his position thus making Rozi a executive of the Plasma grunts. He was positive that she would be jumping for joy but instead it changed her. Her blonde hair no longer held the healthy luster it did before, but now it was dull like. She never smiled anymore and she no longer caked makeup on her face.

"King," Rozi nodded and opened the door for the tall male before looking back at the giggling newbies and frowned. "Straighten up! This isn't your welcoming party, you're here to work!"

The recruits instantly dropped their smiles and stood stiffly behind the king, each swallowing thickly. The only thing they feared was Rozi's lectures. She could scream their ears off if she ever pleased to, learning when it happened once or twice before.

N looked back and was pleased that the newbies were quiet and still. He nodded his thanks to the blonde, ignoring the way she looked as if she wanted to say something, and continued to walk through the door that lead outside, a small red car waiting for him. He got into the front seat and buckled up before the unknown driver drove off swiftly.

He began to think about the next place he was heading to, the last place he would be preaching at before the two hour driver back to Liberty Garden. Every day was filled up with either speeches, meetings, paperwork or sleep. He rarely got the last one done, mainly because sleeping always made him dream of memories, memories he so much wanted to continue being true.

In his dreams they were together. They were happy and doing everything together, living in a world of free Pokemon and everything revolved around them. He wished many time that it was real but woke up to a cold room to an equally cold bed. He had lost count of how many sheets he ripped, how many pillows were torn.

A flash of her hair was seen in the crowd upon a stoplight.

N felt his eyes widen and his heartbeat speed up at the sight. Without notifying his driver, he unbuckled and jumped from the car, ignoring the curious stares people gave him. He knew this was going to be in the newspapers tomorrow but he didn't care. He had hope.

Once he was behind her, he forced her to turn around, ready to scream at her, kiss her, anything. But when he actually turned her around, it wasn't who he was looking for.

This female did in fact had the same hair as Touko, but she had no fringe, exposing a large forehead, green eyes and freckles.

"K-king!" She squeaked, her voice a bit more higher than Touko's.

"Sorry, wrong person." He apologized halfheartedly and walked away, feeling anger and embarrassment. Just look at what that damned female does to him!

He got back into the car, this time going into the backseat and laying down, covering his eyes with his forearm and ignoring the nosy driver who wouldn't stop asking "what the hell?".

Later that night N got back to Liberty Garden, ignoring everyone who bowed or saluted him. No matter how many times he told them to stop, they wouldn't. It was a direct order from the sages that the king was to be bowed, saluted and respected at all times he was present.

'I'm no dumbass. If they didn't respect me they would not be working here in the first place,' he scoffed and stepped into the elevator, noting with annoyance that the Plasma groups stayed out of the lift to give him his space and privacy. Morons, he is still a human being like them, not some deity.

The ride up could not go any slower, stopping at a few floors only to have people scramble back, bowing and saying sorry. All of it only irritated him more.

Once at the top floor he stormed to his bedroom, nearly knocking over a few grunts in the process. He didn't care to say sorry anymore, he ran of out of them hours ago. When he entered his room he went over to his desk and turned on the local Unova news radio station before stripping of his clothes.

N felt too weary to take a shower tonight and opted to slip into a shirt and boxers, listen to an hour of the radio before going to bed.

The newscaster spoke nothing of importance, as always. She spoke in a dull tone about the weather, stocks and business that were rising and failing. In the next segment, right when N was going to turn off the radio, her voice picked up from the dull tone, growing into one of excitement.

"—Lastly, the most exciting news we've had in a long time. Witnesses from last night, who stayed out during the thunderstorm, claimed that they saw a large black dragon Pokemon flying through the sky. There is no reports or evidence if this is true or not, but dragon Pokemon are rare to be seen out in the open without flying in a pack, as most are seen hanging near their nests. A source reported twenty minutes ago saying that the Pokemon was responsible for the storm!

Pokemon Scientists say that this is rare and only used for high defense to hide from enemies. Now this is a bit of a stretch but many people claim they saw someone riding on top of the Pokemon. Experts can't argue with this as it is known there are rebels within Unova who have hopes in taking our dear King down, but they can say that it was dark and cloudy, how can one expect to see—"

N felt himself freeze on the spot and willed the radio to repeat the news but the woman had taken on a bored tone again as she began a new subject. Why hadn't he heard of this sooner? Why did no one notify him?

Anger, the emotion he had embraced too easily, came crashing through the doors to his soul, rage following behind the words he heard. He began to trash his room.

It had been long since he last destroyed something. He never felt better after shattering something to a million pieces though, it only fueled the hate coursing through his veins.

Anger.

Hate.

Rage.

Love.

Who needed such crushing emotions? They destroyed a person, made them less than what they are. N wished he was back to his old self, caring about Pokemon, not caring what others think. Now, he still cared about Pokemon, but now he cared about the women who left him. She taught him everything his father or goddesses wouldn't teach him. She taught love and emotion in different ways a father or mother figure could never do. At one point he believed she was bringing the best out in him.

Twenty minutes and a totally trashed bedroom later, N slumped down onto the floor and stared at his hands which laid limp in his lap.

Moments later, Anthea appeared in the room and gasped. "My king...," she whispered.

It had been months since his last tantrum, she and Concordia believing his state was improving despite the cold front. She heard the static of a radio and frowned, looking at the small black electronic which laid not so innocently against the wall. It all clicked.

"I'm guessing you heard?"

"You knew." He bit out and glared up at her. She didn't flinch.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me? Are you trying to betray me?"

"I, nor Concordia, would ever betray you. We actually wanted to talk to you about it last night when the first report was heard on the radio, but Sage Ghetsis called everyone into a meeting and told us that we stay quiet or we will be silenced. He also ordered for everyone to have the radios turned off whenever you're around."

"Father again... " N frowned and rubbed his forehead. "He's been pissing me off for a long time, especially with those mock posters he made after mine."

"I'll admit it isn't very nice," she murmured and reached down to help him up. "But he's just looking out for your best interests."

"Do you share the same interest as him?" He accepted her help and stood easily, dusting debris from his bottom.

"I do. I did. But, "she motioned to the room with a wave of her hand. "I never wanted this. I never wanted you hurting."

"I am not hurting," he scoffed and walked over to the bed, pulling the blanket back. "I'll be heading to bed now."

"I'll clean your room up in the morning then." The goddess walked over to the radio, ready to turn the device off but N's words stopped her from doing so.

"Don't. I want it on."

"Very well." She picked it up and brought it over to the night stand for him to hear it better. "Good night, my king."

He said nothing even as she left the room, shutting the lights off and closing the door behind her.

N never got much rest that night, always on the edge of sleep but the story of the dragon Pokemon always coming up. He was straining to hear each word correctly, wishing they would come out with new information or leads, at least a direction it was headed in.

He also felt restless. She was so close within his reach but all his leads were dead ends. It made him so angry that she could slip through his fingers so easily, him, N Harmonia! How dare she? He was king, she was his and he was hers.

All too soon there was a knock on his door before it opened.

"My king, it is time to get up," Concordia's soft voice sliced through his derailed train thoughts.

She flipped on the light switch before wondering into the room and over to the closet. She pulled out a dark green suit with black slacks, setting them into the bathroom before getting to work on cleaning the room.

N sat up, blinking rapidly before sending the goddess a glare. This shocked her and she dropped to her knees and gave a formal bow, shoulders slightly shaking. Now it was his turn to be shocked. He had never seen the two goddesses in such a position and never expected it to be because of him.

"What have I done wrong, my king? Please tell me, please forgive."

"Why," he cleared his dry throat before continuing. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was ordered not to, as well as everyone else."

"By who?"

"Your father, Sage Ghetsis."

Him. Again.

"You serve me and only me."

"That I do, my king."

"So why listen to my father?"

"He claimed it is for your best interest that you never heard of her again. He promised pain if anyone ever opposed." Her voice was getting shaky and she willed herself to calm down.

N got off the bed and kneeled before the cowering woman before giving her a crushing hug. It felt weird, having such close human contact after so long, but it was what they both needed.

"My father does not control you, not completely. I want you to give me all the information you find out, even if it is about her. Is that clear? I won't harm you."

Concordia let out a disgruntled sob and returned the embrace. They stayed like that for only a few minutes before she pulled away with a smile.

"We must get you ready for the morning meeting. It won't please the Sages if their dear king is late."

"Right." He agreed and stood, helping the frail women as well.

The meeting went smoothly, as always. N took notice of how the Sages would glance at him to see if he acted differently, perhaps seeing if he had heard the news yet. He acted normally as he did every meeting, snapping at a few people when they stared too long.

"Is there something on my face?"

"O—Of course not, king!"

"Then please tell me why you continue to stare at me?"

"Well, because, uh—"

"If you're not going to be of any help you should just leave the room. I do not need useless, oogling idiots here."

The sage had gaped openly at the powerful male and stood angrily, the chair tipping back and crashing to the floor from the force before storming out and slamming the door behind him.

"Anyone else want to speak up as to why you're staring at me so intently?" N spoke in a monotone voice, his sharp gaze piercing everyone in the room.

The remaining sages shook their heads furiously but Ghetsis just smiled fondly. 'This is how it should be,' He thought proudly.

. . .

A/N: Oh. My. Berry. It's been a little over a year since I first started Eden and has gained 108, 983 words, 22 chapters, 1, 019 reviews [Dafuq?], 208,892 hits, 639 favorites and 639 alerts. W.O.W.

I'm eternally grateful for those who have stuck by me since the beginning and also to those who have decided to hop on this rollercoaster ride along the way! Many thanks to those who supported me and gave helpful hints, as well as my Beta BlackRose who deals with my crappy problem with tense! [sob]

I must also thank the artists like Hikarra, from DeviantArt, who have dedicated their epic skills into doing such lovely artwork for Eden.

I don't know how I can repay anyone except with more Eden chapters! I won't stop this big ass tidal wave of a story until it's completed! C:

TL;DR? THANK YOU VERY DAMN MUCH FOR STICKING WITH ME SO FAR. [heart]


	24. Chapter 24

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Twenty Four.

. . .

"He's getting so big in such a short amount of time," Touko smiled warmly at the toddler she was bouncing on her knee.

"I agree," Seira sighed tiredly while picking up all the toys that were occupying the floor and dumping them into the play basket. "He's full of energy too, it's almost impossible to keep up with him."

Touko had made it a habit to visit Seira three times a month since that incident three years ago. The first visits, well, she wasn't exactly welcomed into the home but warmed up after that. Their chats were awkward, due to the older woman's hostility towards the young trainer but she eventually got over the sense of betrayal and they became friends.

Touko happened to stop by one day and found Seira on the floor, clutching her stomach in pain. It turned out her water just broke but the painful contractions made her immobile to move. The brunette immediately called the hospital and everything from there was a blur. In the end, a healthy baby boy was born. Seira named him Toshi.

"Auntie Toto, I want some cookies," the little boy cooed quietly while giving his 'auntie' the most adorable look ever.

"Toshi, you know you can't have sweets until after supper." Seira reminded the little boy.

"Don't worry little guy," Touko whispered quietly but made sure she was loud enough for the mother to hear. "I'll slip you half a cookie when your mommy isn't looking."

"Why half?" He tilted his head to the side, feeling slightly curious but also gypped of his treat.

"Well, you want to share with Auntie Toto, right?"

"Um, right!" The boy smiled and nodded repeatedly.

"Pfft," Seira snorted and stood, giving the room a quick scan to make sure she picked up all the toys. "Spoil him too much and he'll end up wanting you for a mother instead."

"Nah, he only sees me as a gateway to everything sweet. The only one he truly wishes to cling to is you." And just at that moment Toshi tried turning his upper body around to seek out his mother, arms raised.

"Spoiled little-," Seira whispered fondly, quietly, but picked up her little boy and balanced him on her hip.

There was a knock at the door, a firm hard one, that had Touko raising her shackles in alert. Seira also took on a more serious stance and pointed towards a closet for the younger woman to hide in.

Once inside Touko kept the door cracked open enough to allow her a view of the door. She watched the older woman readjust the babe on her hip before taking shaky strides over to the door, jerking back a bit when there was another harsh knock on the door.

"H—Hello?"

"Good afternoon. May I step inside?"

'Oh good grief,' Touko thought exasperatedly.

"What purpose does the group leader of the Plasma team have here, in my home?" Seira spoke calmly and squared her shoulders, knowing no harm would come from this person.

"I was notified an hour ago about a... suspicious person coming to your home. Do you mind if I step in for a moment to examine the place? You know if you refuse that means you have something to hide."

"So what if I tell you to get lost, what are you going to do about it?"

"Oh, simple. I can just notify the king that there is a possible finding and he'll be right on his merry way. Of course his words are absolute law, he wouldn't even have to knock. He could just stroll in and look anywhere he pleases."

"I will not allow such disrespect in my home! Leave, at once!" At the moment Seira raised her voice, Toshi began to wail uncontrollably.

"He looks just like his father. But sadly I will have to call for the king to come, I'm sorry."

"That's enough, Rozi." Touko stepped out from the closet and walked over to Seira. "You should pack up and leave. Take only things you need and head out somewhere safe. I'm sorry for bringing you down like this, I shouldn't have came to visit so often."

"Nonsense," the brunette scoffed softly, a sad smile lingering on her face. "I'll be sure to alert the others of your situation as soon as I can."

"Thanks."

Touko and Rozi waited in silence until Seira had left the house with a large duffel bag filled with Toshi's belongings and a few of her clothes. The blonde woman let out a heavy sigh and sat down on a plush couch, giving off a air of relaxation but her eyes were focused entirely on the other.

"It's been a while since I saw you. Last time you were in disguise."

"It mustn't have been much of a cover if you could so easily guess who I was."

"Hah, at first I thought perhaps you had a twin brother but your pathetic fake deep voice gave it away."

"Glad to see nothings changed." Touko grumbled and leaned against the wall by the door, watching the blonde wearily.

"Now, now. Why don't you sit down beside me so we can catch up."

"Your old ditzy blonde ways needs a bit of work."

"Ah, that's true, I haven't been practicing. Also, I notice your hair is shorter than before. Didn't it reach your mid back before?"

"Observant. My guy friends didn't notice until one of my girl friends pointed it out. I cut it super short two and a half years ago simply because it got in the way."

"Or maybe you were hoping to start over a new leaf. Doesn't work as well as in the books, does it?" Rozi snorted and waved her hand animatedly through the hair. "Just a girl trying to forget about a guy, hoping for a fresh start but your feelings stayed the same. Besides, I can't imagine you looking good with short hair but this is nice."

"It only reaches a little past my shoulders but it's alright I guess."

It was silent for a moment and Touko was wishing she could just leave but then the Plasma leader stood up, radio in hand.

"I told you last time... that the next time we meet, I will be bringing you back with me."

"Rozi, don't do this—"

Rozi ignored her and held down a round black button on the radio. "This is Team Leader A reporting in, mission target: Heart has been located and held. Calling for immediate back—"

"Rozi!" Touko shouted angrily. "Mincinno, go and destroy that object in her hand!" She threw open her Pokeball, a small blast of white light illuminating the little Pokemon's body.

"Mii!" It squealed and darted forward, leaving only a blur to the human eye, and used Tail Slap to knock the radio from the Plasma's hands.

"Ah!" Rozi squeaked, caught by surprise and tried to grabbed the device back but was too slow. By the time her eyes trained on the standing still Pokemon, the little rodent had the nerve to use Slam and smash her radio to pieces. "No! What have you done, fat lard!"

"Mhm, that sounds more like the Rozi I know," Touko said, amused, and more relax now that the little problem had been taken care of.

"Shut up! This mistake is going to put me into heaps of trouble all thanks to you! You're coming with me whether you like it or not!"

"Oh, did you want to hold hands while we frolic on back to Liberty Garden? Perhaps we could skip to the flower shop down the street and buy each other roses."

"Quiet!"

"You deserve a black one, y'know, 'cause you're pretty brutal person."

Rozi heard enough. "Go, Scrafty!"

. . .

Rozi finally stumbled back and landed onto the floor harshly before calling her Pokemon back to his pokeball. Her breathing was coming out rough and uneven. She had never been pushed so hard during a Pokemon battle before, but she had never had a serious fight before and looked up to the person people call 'hero'.

"I don't know what I was thinking, believing I had a chance against you. And you didn't even call out Zekrom."

"Everyone seems to forget that I'm just a regular trainer. Just because I have a legendary Pokemon doesn't make me powerful."

"Take a look at N. Powerful. King. Feared."

"No. It's because he's confident. He was like that from the beginning. I wasn't, I had doubts when I went against him, even with Zekrom in battle. I didn't believe in myself."

"... And now?"

"Now? I'm almost there. I believe in myself but I still have to build my confidence, and to be honest, those 'wanted dead' posters aren't helping since I have to cower more into hiding," Touko gave a tight smile.

"Ah, those," Rozi gave a mirthless chuckle. "When Ghetsis first suggested it, the king was pretty angry but didn't have a say in the matter. In fact, almost everyone was surprise, even the Sages. But no one dared to protest. So, tell me how you've been managing."

"Nice try, blondie, but you're not sly enough to keep me here longer for simple conversation. I'm going."

"Figures you would leave helpless lil' old me here, exhausted and practically dying."

"Har, har. And I hope the next time we meet, it will be on equal grounds, where people can once again be with Pokemon freely. I would hate to see you on the battle grounds." She turned to leave through the back door but stopped when the blonde mumbled something. "Hm?"

"I said... I hope for that, too." Rozi kept her gaze down cast, allowing her bangs to cover her eyes.

Touko felt a twinge of pity for the other woman but didn't go back to comfort her. She had already wasted too much time here and there was no doubt other Plasma members would barge in any moment.

Rozi heard the back door slam shut and let out a sigh of relief. She couldn't believe that this was the most civil that they had been towards each other. It was kind of... nice, she supposed. She lifted her head and looked around the living room, feeling guilt swell up in her chest at the damage done to the place, not to mention practically chasing the older woman from her home.

"What a disaster," she sighed and perked up when she heard multiple footsteps stomping their way up the steps outside. "About damn time!" She snarled when they entered the house but paled when she saw who stepped in first.

"Rozi, where is she?" N demanded, his eyes narrowed on the blonde who seemed to be sitting on the floor without a care in the world.

The blonde took in his disheveled appearance, heaving chest and shaking shoulders, wind blown hair and down right scary expression. One would call him delusional and hopeless but she saw how proud he was, head held high and hope twinkling in those emerald eyes.

"We had a Pokemon battle and as you can probably tell, I lost." She confessed, lifting one shoulder in a careless shrug. He cursed.

"I didn't ask you what happened, I asked where she is. Besides, what made you think you were up to her level anyways?" He disregarded her coldly and began shouting out orders to the Plasma grunts who came with him. "I want you to split up into two groups, check the basement, check upstairs and check around the house outside."

Rozi bit her tongue, ready to lash out, and stood from her spot and began dusting debris from her person. "I'll return to base."

Maru had decided to come with the group, Rozi noted, seeing the other woman step forward to give her a hand. She contemplated on slapping away the nice gesture, the words 'I don't need your help, I'm not some cripple!' was just on the tip of her tongue but she held that back, too, and instead accepted the arm hugging across her shoulders.

Everything was just too tiresome for the blonde. This was not her, she did not snarl and sneer at everybody who crossed her path. Ever since she got promoted to this cursed position everything in her life became so stressful. She could barely handle the responsibilities thrown her way, could not get enough rest with horrid memories of that day, fearing for her own life. What if she made a slip up? She would be dead before she got a chance to do anything about it.

From the corner of her eyes, she could tell that Maru was even confused of her reaction. She hadn't exactly been a good best friend since promotion day. She figured that if it seems like she had no close ties to anyone in the company then Ghetsis would leave them alone. She did not know what she would do if the old geezer used her friend to threaten her.

Ahh, she wish she could quit. All this just for the illusion of being rich and living a wealthy life with a man she didn't love. She brought shame to every single female in the world.

Both women got into a sleek green car, waiting for the king to finish his search. The silence was eating away at them but only one of them had the nonexistent balls to speak.

"Um, ah—How did things go?" Maru spoke softly while keeping her eyes down cast, focused on her hands that laid limply in her lap. Rozi snorted.

"Obviously not all that good. But I know what you mean. She still isn't ready to face him."

"In what way?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean," The brunette licked her lips nervously and began to fiddle with her fingers. "Is she not ready to face him in battle or as just two normal people, no Pokemon involved?"

Rozi frowned, stumped at the question. She honestly never thought about it that way and wished she could have asked the runaway that.

"I don't know. Dibs on the latter, though."

Maru laughed halfheartedly and they lapsed into silence once again, thankfully it was comfortable and not strained like before, not surprised one bit when N came out of the house ten minutes later, face red with anger.

Back at Liberty Garden N was in his office, scribbling across documents he had to sign, mostly ideas about securing a more trainer free world. They were extraordinary ideas actually, placing trackers on every single person in Unova to keep track of their movements and who was who, where they are at all times, but he was too riled up to look over them seriously.

Once again he was there where she was but always minutes late of catching her. It frustrated him to no end, it just made him want to throttle every single person who came so close but couldn't catch one single female.

Especially that Rozi. He had seen her grow more ruthless these past years and had high expectations for her to capture target mission: Heart but instead he found her lounging on the floor. Does she know how much she gets paid for this? More than usual since the mission is important.

"My king," Anthea mumbled from across the room when she saw his expression pinching into something quite scary. "Is everything alright?" She stopped rearranging the new meeting binders on the bookshelf and wandered over to his side.

"No, it's not." He didn't mean for his tone of voice to take on something close to acid but it did and the damage was done.

The goddess winced, bit her lip and laid a hand gently on his shoulder before speaking, "Have you ever thought of going out with someone else?"

"Pardon?"

"E—excuse me for being rude! Ignore what I said right now." She backed away, fearing she angered him.

"No, come back. Try someone else?"

"Yes, well when a couple breaks up, they go through their emotions, heal and try something new to help them move on."

"Hmm," he hummed to himself thoughtfully, wondering why he didn't try this before. "Who would you suggest?"

"Maru seems like a nice girl... "

"No, no, she's dating that slacker, Saiga."

"Oh, that's true. Maybe... Rozi?" She winced after seeing his face darken.

"That failure? Hah! Don't make me cringe."

"But you're only looking at the surface of things, have you ever considered her feelings, her personality?" 'You've certainly ignored the trainer surface on Touko,' Anthea thought to herself.

"Personality?" He whispered and seemed to be in deep thought before standing abruptly, almost knocking his chair back and scaring Anthea half to death. "I suppose I could try. Where is she right now?"

"I—If today's schedules are correct, she should be in a small meeting with the Plasma members on her team, Maru, Saiga and Lithe."

"Alright, thanks."

"Wait, my king! Where are you going?"

"To see Rozi."

"But w—"

"To try something different and to get that damned woman off of my mind once and for all."

"Wait—" It was too late, he had already left the office and she would not know how to convince him that it was all a bad idea.

The goddess was only hoping to help but N skipped all the steps and went right to 'try something new'. There was no way he was done with his emotions, no where close to healing those transparent and vivid scars.

Anthea stumbled over to N's desk and picked up the thin white phone, swiftly dialing the number to the room the other goddess should currently be in.

"Hello?" Concordia's answered after a single ring.

"Go to the seventy-third floor, to the room where Rozi and her friends are, now. You have to stop him." She whispered desperately.

"Affirmative." The other woman hung up.

Anthea would go herself but knew Concordia was closer and had a better chance at stopping him. She only hoped and prayed that it was not too late.

N stomped his way into the room, his eyes landing instantly on the blonde woman. He caught her mid laugh, smile wide with lips stretched and eyes dancing with mirth until she turned and saw who exactly walked in. She was beautiful, now that he thought about it.

"K—king?" Rozi stuttered and begin to panic mentally, thinking that he was finally going to punish her after that slip up a few days ago.

N strode forward, ignoring the other three people in the room and clamped his hands down on the Plasma leaders shoulders, noticing how thin they felt under the uniform. Without anything to hold him back he leaned forward and placed his lips upon hers.

He closed his eyes and began to lightly brush his lips against hers, opening his mouth a little to let out a small sigh. It wasn't working. All he can imagine is her standing in front of him. "Do something," he whispered.

Rozi felt herself stiffen at the contact and her mind began to race through her thoughts of what possible urge possessed this proud man to come here and kiss her. And he demanded her to do something? Uneasily she responded a little and he gasped. She reeled back.

"I'm s—sorry, my king, but I just can't, I, um—" She fumbled with what to say while trying to will the heat from her cheeks to cool down.

N glared at her and crossed his arms. "I just don't understand. Even though you have great looks, nice body and big boobs, you look utterly plain next to Touko."

Rozi was at a lost for words, and pretty insulted by this point. She clutched her right wrist to still the shaking of her fist that just wanted to plant itself not so nicely on that perfect face.

"N!" Concordia stormed into the room, forgetting her formal upbringing, and placed her hands on her hips and scolded. "That's no way to talk to a lady! Have Anthea and I taught you nothing?"

"Concordia," He greeted with a nod in her direction, not caring she didn't call him 'king'. "I was trying some advice—"

"You're going about the wrong way with it. Now, please apologize to Miss Rozi and get back to your duties."

"Why should I say sorry when I meant every word?" He frowned and crossed his arms. "Apologizing would mean I take back everything I said."

"My King... " Concordia's shoulders visibly shook while a murderous smile planted itself on her lips. "Let's forget work for an hour and, y'know, go over those mannerism books you despised as a kid. For old and fun times sake, of course."

N swallowed and sighed before nodding and left the room with the goddess.

"That was... " Maru murmured.

"Not very nice." Rozi finished, glaring at the door before looking over at her friends. "Do you think this is how Touko felt, handling all these random outbursts from him?"

"Who knows," Saiga shrugged, getting over his initial shock.

"So how was it?" Maru clasped her hands together while wagging her eye brows up and down suggestively. "Was it the kiss you've dreamed of having since you set your sights on him? Did your panties grow completely we—"

"How did I end up with a woman who has such a crude mouth," Saiga mumbled to no one.

"Well," Rozi snuck a glance over to Lithe, who looked to be trying to ignore and block everyone else out by focusing on the file in front of him. She could see the anger in his eyes and began to feel guilty. "It was surprising but I didn't like it."

"What?" Both Maru and Saiga shouted at the same time, even Lithe tore his eyes off the report to look at the blonde.

"It's just, I guess ever since I got this position I just grew up. He was a silly dream, not reality."

"How mature of you," Maru nodded approvingly before remembering her boyfriend's earlier comment. "You should be glad that it's my only mouth that's crude. Can you imagine if I had a set of ripped biceps? I'd break your face so fast for that comment."

Saiga sighed and hugged his girlfriend closer. He guessed he should be thankful for that.

Rozi didn't miss the small smile now playing on Lithe's lips and could not help having one too.

. . .

"Sage Ghetsis, is it completed yet?" Another Sage, just a few years older than the other, called out from the shadows, his face hiding in the hood.

"Ah, Sage Giallo, old friend! How swell of you to join me. It is nearly completed. Perhaps a couple weeks more before it's perfect." The green haired male wiped the sweat collecting on his brow and let out a tired sigh. "It should have been finished awhile ago but different kinks keep popping up."

"Ah, I'm sure it'll be worth it in the end," the other chuckled.

"Now, what did you really come here for? I left strict instructions not to bother me at any time."

"Sharp, as always. I've stumbled across something very interesting while checking up in the video room."

"Oh?"

"Yes, something that might strike the other much harder than the 'Wanted Dead' posters."

Ghetsis was now intrigued and placed his tools aside, giving the other man his undivided attention. A black and white photo was shown before him and it gave him mix emotions. It was a picture of N and Rozi kissing in a meeting room, with people present but looking shocked. He felt anger that yet another female was trying to sway his boy but shook such thoughts away, knowing that the fool was not yet over that other woman.

"I see where you're going with this." He murmured and looked at the picture much closer.

"Yes, I thought you would. All we have to do it crop everyone else out, send this to the news paper and

magazine agencies and it will all flow like wild fire."

"Yes, yes. Get to work on it as soon as possible."

"Of course. Heh, I knew our kids would look golden together."

Ghetsis felt his smile twitch in annoyance but did not comment. "How are both your kids?"

"Rozi seems fine these days. She's perked up bunches but the other is still going through that awkward teenage stage."

"Ah yes, what was her name?"

"Daizy."

"Of course, of course. Still no leads?"

"Nah, crazy kid just left a note saying she wants to travel the world and how she hates home, all that depressing stuff."

Ghetsis chuckled, secretly happy the man was suffering.

. . .

A/N: Big thanks to my two Beta readers BlackRose and SaitoKeita! C: If I had to guess, there will probably be 3 to 5 chapters left of Eden. Ahh, the ending is so near!


	25. Chapter 25

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Twenty Five.

. . .

Touko nodded numbly, gathered the papers from the table and left, ignored the damned poster on the table and made robotic movements back to her shared room.

For the next few hours Touko looked over the papers, analyzing and judging the options she had. Many had turned out silly while others were so far out, she wondered briefly if those ideas belong to Daizy. The girl did have a vivid imagination. But no matter how unique the ideas, they did no good for her. Honestly, dressing up in a fat Pokemon suit and delivering Pizza to the front steps of Liberty Garden was plain suicide, but getting dropped off in front of N was also suicide, but also sounded more sane, if that made sense.

Touko felt a pang of regret for staying away for so long, just to train and to find herself, which she was still in the process of doing, but no one had expected Plasma would go this far. If she had known she would have come back sooner. Now it did seem the only option was to go directly to the king. Touko sighed in irritation, resisting the urge to scratch her head and maim the horrible wig she wore. But more than irritation, she felt down right ridiculous wearing the get up in her own home town. Red had all but demanded that she return to Nuvema Town after the little stunt that happened at Seira's home two weeks ago. They had moved the mother and her child to a secluded place on the other side of Unova, taking as many belongings of hers when her old house wasn't supervised.

Of course Red wasn't comfortable with her wandering around anymore, claiming that it was a close call, she could have been caught, etc. She was a grown woman, she could take care of herself!

Touko walked by the local book store, giving a small sideways glance but stopped when a huge promotion poster caught her eye. It was bold, it was red, white and black, it read: Poke His Ball, the second book to the famous trilogy of Master Ball His His!

Touko literally felt her mouth pop open at the title and information. 'It's a freaking trilogy?'

Without wasting a moment longer she walked into the shop and spotted multiple copies of the paperback novel right away, sitting innocently in the middle of the shop. She quickly made her way over and picked up a copy before bringing it to the cashier.

"I'd like to purchase this please," she gruffed, not forgetting once about her disguise.

The cashier managing the till took one look at the erotic novel before slowly raising her eyes to meet Touko's, disgust clearly evident in her brown eyes. The trainer could just imagine the thoughts going through the workers mind, such as pervert, gross, sick.

"That will be seven-ninety-nine, please."

Touko pulled change from her pocket, counting everything quickly before depositing it on the till, grabbing the book and ditching the store without waiting for a receipt. No point in staying longer if she was just going to get scorned through a civilians gaze.

'Hmfp, she has no right to judge me,' Touko thought with a small pout, tucking the book into the safety of her messenger bag, away from prying, seeking eyes. 'Paranoid to the max.'

She continued to window shop on the way back to the base, nothing else really capturing her attention. Clothes, accessorizes, they looked as if they were something she would have enjoyed a few years ago. But she still curiously wondered how one thing would look on her while another was utterly hideous.

'I'm still a woman!' She felt herself cry silently. But sadly, she was not a normal one. When one really thought about it, there was a huge difference between a trainer and a civilian. One was duty bound to their Pokemon while the other just lived a life without, having a job. But there was also the category of the people who lived with Pokemon and did not train or battle, and although the Pokemon seem happy with the role of lounging around all day, a gene lays dormant within them, waiting to be awoken when and if they get their first taste of a battle.

When said gene gets realized and Pokemon become restless, they are released and instantly replaced.

Touko frowned. 'That is cruel... But it's better to let the Pokemon be free and happy instead of trapping them and not giving them a chance to battle. It is definitely a two way street when you're taking the responsibility of owning Pokemon.' she mused.

It was another hour before she was walking through the compound of the hidden base. She headed straight to her room, depositing her ugly disguise as well as her bag onto her bunk but took out the book before heading over to the meeting room. It was still mid afternoon so everyone should still be doing chores. She had less of a chance getting caught there.

Upon opening the door, Touko realized a few things. One, she was not alone, two, the meeting room was almost full. Three, everyone was staring at her. Four, there was a disturbing poster on the table. And five... she dropped her erotic book.

All eyes dropped down to the book and the person closes to her, who happened to be Daizy, reached down to pick it up and read the title out loud.

"Poke His Ball?" The young girl gave Touko an accusing gaze, as it she was silently saying 'the image I have of you has been completely shattered.' "You closet pervert," she whispered dramatically before whisking out of the room, wailing down the hallway.

There was a few coughs around the table, a couple accompanied with blushes on their faces, others giving her the same look Daizy gave her while others looked everywhere but.

"Touko... I never knew this side of you," Belle frowned at her best friend, hands on her hips, but she was viciously fighting the urge the twitch of her lips, threatening to break into a teasing smile.

"No, it's not like that, it's—"

"CLOSET PERVEEEERT!" Daizy screamed from down the hall.

"SHUT UP YOU WALLFLOWER!" Touko yelled back.

"UGH!"

Touko sighed tiredly, willing herself to ignore the obnoxious girl, before remembering the poster on the table. She had forgotten about it for only but a moment but remembering now, she really wished it was her eyes playing tricks on her. She walked over with careful robotic steps, barely taking notice of everyone's eyes on her.

The poster had a royal blue border, bold black letters screaming "Love Blooming Within Hidden Walls?", which sounded lame, if you asked the brunette. In the middle was a picture view positioned from the upper corner, most likely taken from a security camera. She recognized from the hair that it was Rozi who was on the receiving end of the kings kiss. His eyes were closed, meaning either that he accepted the kiss or initiated it.

Either way, it burned the already broken pieces of Touko's heart.

No one said anything to the hero, waiting for her reaction of disgust, sarcasm, anything. It confused them to see her face contort into something not very attractive, fat tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"Everyone is dismissed, Touko, you stay behind," Red spoke in a calm tone, keeping his eyes on the shattering woman before him.

People began to stand uncertainty, casting curious glances towards the brunette before leaving the meeting room in small groups. Belle sprinted over to Touko's side, bringing the girl into a tight embrace. "It'll be alright."

"You stay too, Belle," Red ordered, rising from his seat once everyone else had left the room and stood before the two women.

"Eh?"

"I assume you know much about her situation?" When the blonde nodded he continued. "Well I think you'll be able to offer more support than I can."

"Right," She nodded and released her friend from the tight embrace and stood at her side.

"Does it pain you so much to see this?" Red asked, after a few minutes of silence, jerking his head in the direction of the offending poster.

Touko said nothing and felt shame, horror and guilt when a wretched sob escaped her throat.

Red nodded to himself and picked up his files, scanning over his chicken scratch before deciding to get this over and done with. "We did not know when you would be returning so we went ahead to have a meeting without you and don't be mad, you barely carry your radio with you on your days off. Someone had found this poster up in the local grocery store and called for back up to remove it from every other place they could find just so we could avoid you from seeing it."

"S—such extremes—" Touko hiccupped angrily but stopped when she felt a soft squeeze on her shoulder.

"It was my idea," Belle confessed softly. "I know how you feel about him and knew this would crush you... I didn't know they would hold a meeting about it."

Touko felt her bottom lip quiver into a pout against her will. "Belle, you're my best friend, why—"

"Because I'm tired of seeing you walk around like a zombie!"

"That's cruel."

"No, you're cruel, N is cruel, Plasma is too! Heck, You're cruel too, Red! Do you know how many coffee bins my dad has had to buy since you've come by?"

"What can I say, you Unovian's have excellent taste," and to prove his point, he took a large healthy gulp of the black liquid in his traveling coffee mug.

"Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that the whole world is cruel and I'm only trying to lift your burden, even if it's just an inch, from your shoulders. I can't imagine the pain you're going through right now but that doesn't mean I should just ignore it and carry on my marry way."

Touko sniffled and looked at the poster again. "But... I l—love... " Damn her emotions and damn her inability to speak properly at the moment.

"Hush, Touko, it's okay," Belle rubbed the brunettes back, trying to soothe her but she wouldn't have.

"No," Touko shook her head. "It's not okay! Loving the enemy, how cliché is this!"

"Don't get hysterical, Touko," Red murmured and sat on the table, his penetrating gaze piercing through Touko's soul, reading every emotion flashing through her eyes. "No one is blaming you for feeling the way you feel. People may judge, even though they have no right to, you should be only focusing on what makes you happy."

"Dropping off the ends of the Earth will make me happy," she grumbled. "But I don't like running away."

Red gave a small smile before turning serious again. "In this meeting, many ideas were suggested, some more silly than others, but something Cheren said stuck out. Now, it may seem like a brilliant idea but considering your feelings, it might seem like a bad one."

"W—what is it," She asked, sniffling.

"We drop you of, basically, in front of N."

Touko felt the air go cold around her, nerves fraying under the intensity of the answer and her emotions. She began to wonder just how many ideas everyone came up with, hell, she was willing to go with the silly ones, anything but this one. They had to be completely off their rocker to even suggest it. She couldn't believe Cheren would! That jerk.

"Touko?" Belle blinked and waved a hand in front of her friends face.

"Ah, I think she went into shock," Red mused, staring at the blank expression on her face.

They waited in silence for a couple minutes, waiting for any sign of movement from the brunette but she remained still. If her chest wasn't rising and falling rapidly, they would have believed she was a mannequin. But still, the silence stretched on and Belle began to worry.

"C'mon Touko, stop scaring us like this. You don't even have to do this! It was just the best suggestion. If you want we can tell you the others—"

"Let me think on it," Touko cut her off before Belle could get into her ramblings. "I... It's just too much to take in right now."

"Understandable," Red nodded and handed over his files to her. "You can look over the rest of the suggestions here, and although I hate to say it but you've got a time limit."

"How long?"

"One week."

Touko closed her eyes and felt a feeling a wave of despair wash over her. Her shoulders dropped in slight defeat before opening her eyes and giving Red the most pathetic look she could muster.

"Touko," He spoke slowly, softly, as if speaking to a seven year old. "You don't have to decide what we thought was best. It is your decision and you might find something better on that list that we could have over looked or didn't think in your point of view."

"I get it," she said, a little too harshly, but Red understood that the anger was not directed at him. "I'll think about it. But I have a question."

"Ask."

"Why did this come up as the best choice? Even this, " She looked quickly down at the list. "Bribing Plasma members to spy for us looks more acceptable."

"I'm sorry, I left out one vital information." Touko blinked and waited for him to continue. "Time."

"Time?"

Red nodded and sifted through the papers in her hands, pulling out a single slip from near the bottom that had a red ink stamped at the top, screaming EMERGENCY. "We got this this morning, during the meeting actually. Bribing Plasma members would have been the number one choice if we hadn't received this."

Touko took the paper from his grasp and quickly scanned it, her eyes widening. "They want to inject microchips into everyone just so they could keep track?"

"Yes. Our spy has reported that they are already working on it, the chips and a whole electrical board of Unova. They're testing them on their own members first, having them wander Unova and seeing if they can track him on the board."

"But there's so many people in Unova... How can they... "

"Of course they'll divide the board up into sections and have a few people watch over one area."

"This is too extreme!" Touko exclaimed and resisted the urge to throw the papers down onto the table childishly but clenched them tightly instead, crinkling the sides.

"It is, but they're serious about it. Soon it'll be forbidding to travel through towns and they'll be building railways for transportation."

"Now that's just absurd."

"Indeed," Red sighed and took another swig of his coffee, relishing the way it made his nerves jump alive. "Maybe soon, after they have gained absolute power over Unova, they'll begin to take over other regions too." His lids drooped half way as memories assaulted him, reminding him of a certain situation that happened years ago into Kanto region. History seemed to be repeating itself.

Belle gasped. "That's horrible! But it can be beat!"

"How are you so sure," Touko grumbled, not grasping how her friend could stay so enthusiastic all the time.

"Because something like this happened... two times before!"

"What?" Touko now directed her full attention to her friend, setting the papers onto the table before she shredded them into pieces.

"Yeah, Cheren told me when he went to study at a school when we began our journey. He read up on a bunch of history and stumbled onto other organizations such as "Team Rocket" and "Team Galactic". Those two are separate groups but Rocket was first and Galactic looked up to them, deciding to carry on their legacy of world domination."

"How were they defeated?"

"By two different people at both times."

"Whaa... " Touko looked disbelieving that a single person could do something as take down an evil organization by themselves.

"Hard to believe, I know," Belle nodded and rubbed her chin, trying to give off an air of being a smart ass. "But it's true and written in books!"

"Erm, what did they do afterwards?"

"No one really knows, but rumors are said that they become lone wolves and hide out somewhere, waiting for trainers to come and challenge them, nothing else has been reported."

"Lone wolves? Challenging people? That almost sounds like... " Touko turned to Red, who had a small secret smile playing on his lips. "... You... "

"What?" Belle almost screeched. "Red? You—What—I," She stuttered over her words, not believing she was so close to a celebrity all these years!

"I was the one who defeated Team Rocket. Touya knew that, assumptions from reading up on Kanto and Johto regions, after her found me. Others see me as a regular trainer when I come down from the mountain because there are no pictures of me. Paparazzi are banned from coming into Mt. Silver."

"So that's why you looked so calm through this whole ordeal. You've been through it before," Touko whispered, her voice accusing.

"Indeed. But this situation is more extreme because of the advanced technology we did not have back then."

"How did you do it?" Touko begged, eyes wide, haunted. "Tell me."

"Saving the world is no easy task and there is no right way to do it. You have many friends by your side, supporting you. I only had my rival by my side while I took care of everything." Touko was silent as she listened and willed her shoulders to stop shaking. "It was not easy, at first, going through it alone, but the gloating and pestering from my friend helped me along the way."

"Alone... "

"Not the alone you're thinking. Just remember that you'll have support to guide you, but in the end, it'll be up to you to decide where Unova goes." A renewed strangled sob escaped her throat and Red placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving a light squeeze. "Just believe in yourself and your friends, we'll always be one step behind you."

She loved him, simple as that, yet not so simple. She had hoped, prayed that over time her feelings would diminish for him but there was no such luck. There were few dates she went on with some of the rebels she worked with and they all turned out to be great guys but in the end all she could do was compare them to him.

'Oh, he holds his glass like that? Not as elegant as N.'

'How cute, he blushed at my comment. But his blush doesn't look as good as when N blushes, which stands out on his pale skin.'

'Hum, his smile is nice, but not as alluring as N's... '

It drove Touko nuts that after the last date two years ago that she had no more time to socialize just so she could stop comparing. It wasn't fair to anyone, especially the men who she went out with.

"Enough of that," Touko shook her head until her neck began to hurt. "I got to focus on this."

So if she went along and accepted what everyone thought was best, how would she go about doing it? Would she show up on the steps of Liberty Garden Tower in a pretty red bow instead of a fat Pokemon suit? No, that would be stupid showing up there because Ghetsis wanted her as well, only dead, so there was a chance a Plasma member would bring her to him instead of the other.

She would have to find out his plans and hope he has a date set for another speech and she would appear in front of him afterwards. And since people thought this best, that means she would have distract him and go in without her Pokemon.

The idea made her sweat.

But it was the only way to trick him into believing that she believed in his ideals and that she wanted to be back with him. It was cruel but she was willing to play dirty and sacrifice everything between them for the sake of freedom in Unova. Even if she were to seriously go back to him for good, she would forever be unhappy with the way everything turned out. With this route, she could defeat him, bring peace back and they could be happy together but if he decides he doesn't want to then she would be unhappy but she would heal over time. He was her first love, after all and she would never forget him but she would move on eventually and find a nice man.

It's better to have one or two unhappy people instead of a whole nation of trainers wallowing until their death.

But how would N take it all, her coming back? Would he jump for joy, welcoming her in his strong arms? Or would he shove her back in that blasted window room? That thought made her shiver. The whole plan would go downhill if it came to that so she would have to gamble that he'll keep her in his room where he could keep an eye on her.

But what if he's extremely angry? What if he hits her? That also made her shiver, imagining his angry, cold gaze directed at her.

Touko took a few deep breaths to calm and assure herself that he would never hit her and the worst he could do was glare and hurl hurtful words in her face. She would deal with that.

Nodding to herself, Touko looked over the suggestions one more time before coming to a conclusion. It had only taken a few hours of thinking but if she thought about it the whole week, she would chicken out at the last minute because at the moment the more she thought about it the more insane it seemed.

Not trusting her feet to take her to Red, she dialed his number on her cell phone and waited for him to pick up.

_"Is everything alright?" _He spoke calmly but the undertone in his voice gave away his worry.

"Yeah. I just decided."

_"So soon?"_

"If I take the whole week to give you an answer then you wouldn't receive it."

"Ah. So your decision?"

"The one everyone has decided on."

"Are you only choosing that one because the others think it's best? I told you to think about—"

"Myself. I know. And I have thought about it and the other options but I do believe this is the best one."

"... Very well. We'll get to work on that right away. Finish up what you have to do here quickly."

"How soon will it take?"

"Depends on the kings schedule. You might leave tonight or it could be in two days from now. I have to get a hold of our spy."

"Alright."

They hung up and Touko sat there for a long moment, absorbing everything in. This was it. She was actually going through this. She was going to see N again after three years and some months...

Would he accept her back and believe everything to be fine? I doubt it, she thought bitterly and just hoped that she made the right choice. She had to consider that he might just keep her locked up in a dungeon or something, away from the light of the outside world. She knew he was not crazy but it had been an extremely long time since she last saw him in person.

But then what about that poster? It obviously showed they had a relationship so maybe he didn't want her anymore? Touko had to admit that it hurt her to even think he would just turn his back like that, saying she wasn't needed in his life anymore. It would be fair and understandable that he moved on while she was continuing this standstill she believed to be her own personal hell.

No. This is why Touko decided to accept this mission now instead of having days to sleep on it, because her thoughts wondered to the mysterious and tinted dark places of her mind that give her reasons to not do this. Perhaps this meeting will finally give her a peace of mind for a while, because after the battle there is no doubt she will be able to keep her sanity in check for long. Her loss was the only thing that had been keeping them together. If she wins, and she will make sure she does, what left is there for him to do? She can picture him admitting defeat and going off away to a place devoid of human contact.

"Ugh!" Touko screamed in frustration and grabbed a pillow, beating her fists down it in anger.

"... Is now a bad time?" A quiet voice spoke from the door, which Touko realized with horror that she never heard open.

"T—Touya?" She squeaked and felt herself flush. "What are you doing here?"

"News spreads like wildfire when it comes to you," he gave a wry smile and walked in. "Sorry, I should have knocked."

"It's okay, I shouldn't have... " Touko did not really want to say that her pillow didn't deserve the beating it got, as if the object had feelings. So it was just overall awkward.

"I understand."

"I would hope not," she muttered dryly, not wishing anyone to experience what she was currently going through, which earned herself a chuckle from the other.

They got along a bit better now than when they first saw each other again three years ago. Even if Touya was dating her best friend, they both remembered the moment she had flatly rejected him without a thought. It was just impossible to think about anything else other than N because they never had proper closure between them.

'Maybe after the battle we'll say our final goodbyes and I'll be able to move on,' she mused dejectedly before giving Touya her full attention again. "So what can I do for you?"

"I'm errand boy this time since Belle is out on defense lines today and Cheren is going through strategies with different groups."

"Oh."

"Mhmm, so Red has gotten in contact with his spy and as sad as it is to say this but it appears that you'll be gone tonight."

That made her freeze. 'Too soon, that is too soon!' Her heart began to pick up it's speed while it felt like it was plummeting into her stomach and she felt herself sweat. Was she even ready to face her doom? She had no choice, well she did but at the same time she didn't. It was best to get this over and done with before Unova turned into a complete police state. If she left it until it was too late, she would most likely be caught anyways and she would curse herself for missing the opportunity.

"Ah. I guess I should pack, but then again it would be useless. I can't really take anything, not even my Pokemon."

"There would be no where to hide them," Touya murmured followed by a blush.

He was right. Touko would be wearing clothes that would hug her form, showing curves and anything else she might be hiding. "I could put them in my shoes, but that would be uncomfortable and very unfortunate if I accidentally released one of my Pokemon. I would be exposed and have a missing shoe."

Touya snorted. "Actually, Red has these special shoes—"

"No way," Touko cut him off, her voice filled with disbelief. "He has shoes specially made for hiding Pokemon?"

"Always be prepared, I guess," he shrugged carelessly before opening the door once again and moving out, but not before saying, "He said he will be by soon to drop them off, then he wants you to run an errand before you leave."

"An errand on my day off, lovely," she sighs dramatically, hearing a small chuckle before the door shut completely.

Touko was left to think in silence for awhile before she stood and began to put her disguise on for the second time that day. She brushed out the wig, styling it so that it would make her look as boyish as possible before putting a net over her head, to capture and flatten her hair, and tugged the wig on until it was snug and sure it would not fall off.

Red came two hours later, apologizing for taking so long before handing her hiker boots she was sure that would fall off her, but to her surprise they fit. Casting him a curious glance, he understood and answered. "I knew something like this would happen sometime, so I had them made last year."

"Oh, well, thank you." He nodded and watched her place all six pokeballs into the bottom of the platform before sliding and closing the latch that hid them. "This would have been handy a long time ago. Would have saved me from an early heart attack from the many times Plasma came after me and tried grabbing my pokeballs from my belt." She grinned teasingly to show she meant no harm in the slight jab.

He gave his own small smile, not offended in the least. "I would like you to go to the next town over and get some books at the library there. These books have been hidden from public because they have much advanced strategies that people seeking for power would kill for. They hold information on how gym leaders and every Pokemon league top four, ranging from Unova to Kanto, fight and the tactics they use to ensure problems for the challenger. If we can get them it will help use greatly in this upcoming battle."

"Really? Alright then, I'll go over as soon as I can. Time limit?"

"Before ten. You'll have to go in through the back, since that is, to my knowledge, where the books will be."

"Okay, I'll be going in a few."

"Good luck." He nods to her and leaves the room.

Touko quickly slipped off her clothes and slipped a tight black vest on to downgrade the size of her chest, followed by loose men clothing. She picked up a messenger bag, so she could place the book somewhere, and stuffed it with "Poke His Ball", just so she wasn't walking around with a suspicious empty bag, and left the room.

Outside she hugged Belle and told her to say goodbye to Cheren and her mom, for her. The blonde nodded eagerly, tears forming in her eyes, lips trembling as they always did when her friend was going out on a mission. After one more heartfelt hug, Touko parted through an unrecognizable path, only finding her way because of the star shaped leaves Cheren had placed and blended it with the other plain looking leaves.

Touko choose to walk, instead of biking it to the next town, obviously in no rush to get back and face her ultimate doom. 'Don't be dramatic,' she scolded herself with a hard shake of her head. It wouldn't do anyone any good if she had a mental breakdown in the middle of the forest.

The walk to Accumula Town was peaceful, with only few people passing through, either walking, jogging or biking. They all looked like normal civilians but one person stood out, as Touko recognize them from the base but under disguise and she was sure she noticed someone else as well yet remembering them from Liberty Garden.

By the time she reached Accumula, it was nearing six in the evening, which meant she had three hours to get the books and an hour to walk back to the main base.

_'Piece of Chansey cake,'_ Touko snorted and took the first few steps into town before four Plasma members stepped out from their hiding places, pokeballs in hands. She felt herself stiffen but managed a nervous smile. "Hello."

"Take off the bag and throw it over here. One of the females will be giving you a pat down."

"Alright," Touko swallowed nervously and tossed her bag to the person closes to her before spreading her arms out.

The Plasma member with the bag looked through every pocket, sifting around and made a disgruntled noise upon finding the book, muttering a word that sounded close to 'pervert...' before closing the satchel and tossing it back at Touko's feet, who couldn't help but blush.

The female member came over, expression serious as she began her pat down, staying a bit longer on the chest area than the brunette would have liked, but continued on, feeling around the belt area and moving down to the legs.

"Clear," the female gave a hand signal and the other members cleared the way.

"Thanks," Touko gave a forced, fake smile, picked up her bag and continued walking into town.

She still felt restless when she finally stood in front of the library, having never been patted down before and realizing that that made the situation that much more dire. There was a commotion going on inside the library and she summed it up to being night school and headed around the back, making sure no one was looking.

Touko peeked around the corner and felt her heart sank when she noticed a few people standing around, looking bored. 'Dammit Red! Just how important are these books?' She promised herself to give him a ear full when she got back, empty handed or not, and waited for what seemed like hours, but in reality it was only two hours, limiting her time tightly.

Without any sort of warning, she was suddenly shoved and trampled on by what felt like hundreds of feet, stepping on her legs, back and hands. Then she heard people shouting out orders and the feet backtracked over her form and she had enough.

"Hey, watch it!" Touko sat up and snarled at the crowd behind her, completely forgetting to deepen her voice. Just then a door opened, everyone's attention turning from her and the brunette fumed but also twisted her head to see what has got everyone so captivated.

But there stood someone she was not expected to see for at least a couple more hours.

N stood there, looking at the crowd before him with a closed off expression, looking as if he was used to people rushing to him after one of his lectures. And he gave a glance down in her direction and was about to move away but Touko's wig took that moment to slip off, bringing the hair net with it and her hair cascaded down in small waves over her shoulders.

He froze, head jerking back in her direction, eyes wide.

It was then Touko realized that there was no such book that held information about gym leaders or the Elite Four. Red had purposely let her walk into the spiders web, possibly because he was worried she would back out if he really told her the reason why she was headed here.

It was like bungee jumping. If you look down you're not going to do it. But if you were given a light push, done for your own good, you can't be mad at that person, only thankful that they are there to help guide you along and give you the push that you need.

"Touko... " He whispered, his voice highly strained, sounding roughly pained, angry and confused.

Oh, shit.

. . .

A/N: First, huge thanks to SaitoKaito for Beta'ing this chapter! Second, thanks to fanfiction reviewer Failisse for the idea of "Poke His Ball", very hilarious, thank you! And lastly, I'm sorry for the long wait, family problems, it's explained on my dA so I won't bother ramblinghere. Hope the chapter was enjoyable! c:


	26. Chapter 26

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Twenty Six.

. . .

All seven levels of hell broke loose.

Touko knew she had to think fast. Give up now and say that she sees things his way or pretend to make a run for it and when captured, say she only wanted to check up on him. But not one for being a docile doll, she picked the latter and stood on wobbly legs, making a crappy run for it.

Seconds later she was tackled to the ground by a near by Plasma member. There was shouting and screaming coming from all sides of her, barking orders from the members and squeals of excitement from the spectators. She felt like she was a ball of dough being rolled around, squished and squeezed to death. Just how many Plasma members planned on body slamming her?

"Get OFF!" Voice sure and powerful, demanded, and soon enough Touko was able to breathe again.

She lay there, panting, sore, and most likely bruised but she pushed all her discomfort to the back of her mind and instead focused her eyes on the figure towering above her.

His expression remained closed, lips pursed to form a tight line but the emotions were bouncing wildly in his eyes, she couldn't tell them apart. They stared at one another, sizing each other up. Although he couldn't measure her up much due to the clothes, she saw how much thinner he appeared.

N wasn't exactly a macho man when she left him but he wasn't a hickory stick either. He had been lean and graceful but he looked sickly thin and rough now, his jaw almost pointy like, kind of like Ghetsis.

Without warning, the king snatched her wrist and forced her to stand before dragging her off into a clearing away from the crowd, who followed them hesitantly and quietly. Touko shouted out protests but they fell on deaf ears. His dull nails were digging painfully into her skin but he didn't care. Once he made sure they were a safe distance from the crowd, he called out Reshiram, forced her on and followed. They took off into the sky and in the direction of Castelia City and Liberty Garden.

Touko felt his arm wrap around her midsection tightly while the other reached forward, resting against her leg and his hand clutched Reshiram's fur near her knee, holding them both down.

The wind bit into her cheeks and most likely N's forehead but they said nothing. She tried to struggle but the bruising grip on his hip intensified when she did so after a few attempts she held still. She hoped he didn't hear or feel the pounding of her heart but she sure did feel his against her back. His breathing was harsh, coming out in white puffs from the cool air up in the sky, and it heated the skin on her exposed neck and throat for a second before chilling.

She heard him mutter "Why?", "What has changed?", "Damn her," and more rude things that she was sure wasn't meant for her ears.

Liberty Garden tower came into view too soon and Touko actually played with the thought of catching him off guard and dramatically throwing herself off Reshiram and go to her death. Coward.

They landed on the roof and Reshiram flew away but Touko couldn't watch the beauty of the legendary Pokemon's powerful wings because N was dragging her through the door and into the elevator. Everything looked exactly the same as when she left. But there was no longer paintings or pictures hanging on the walls, only propaganda posters and a few Plasma symbols etched into the walls in various places.

She was dragged down the hall and bowed her head to avoid the shocked gazes from the wondering members and wished she could plug her ears from the eager whispering. No doubt someone relayed what happened tonight and it would be on the news any moment. Only the rebels who knew about the plan would smirk in triumph while the ex-trainers who feared to join them would mourn this 'loss'.

N pulled her into his room, slammed and locked the door. He pushed her onto his bed and for a frightening moment, Touko thought he was going to take her against her will, but she scrambled to balance herself on her knees and looked to him. He backed up slowly from the bed, his eyes never leaving her form and he continued to step away until he bumped into a chair and sat down.

The silence was utterly unbearable and Touko wished he would do something other than stare at her with those eyes. She actually wished he would scream at her, get angry, something, anything! Anything but the silent treatment. It was as if he was blocking her out and was only seeing, not listening, not connecting. It made her want to cry.

But she wouldn't show weakness, wouldn't let him know how much he affected her. So they only sat there in silence, staring, until moments later there was furious knocking at the door followed by a feminine voice.

"King, are you alright?" It was Rozi.

Hearing her, Touko couldn't keep the anguish from twisting her face and N drank up the emotion greedily.

"Go away." He ordered.

Moments later, once again, there was knocking on the door but this time it was timid.

"My king, please let us in," it was Concordia who spoke, softly yet firmly enough to be heard.

"Please, I wish for us to be alone."

"My king—" Anthea began to protest but was silenced. Curious. Until the loudest, rudest knock came next.

"N, you open this door at ONCE!" It was Ghetsis. Touko paled. N noticed. He growled. Growled!

"Go away!" He snarled, finally taking his eyes off the woman in front of him to glare at the door. "Can't you damn people leave us alone?"

"She is a wanted criminal! We must put her in the prison cells and execute the problem immediately!" Ghetsis' voice thundered and he pounded on the door more viciously.

Touko began to feel the chills of horror and backed up on the bed until she couldn't any further. She didn't want to, but she wrapped her arms around herself, fearing that N might just give in to the Sage's request and hand her over.

N frowned at her behavior. He was expecting her to try and force her way out, trick him into releasing her, not cower on their bed. She looked so scared, like the time he found her in the stairwell. A sick feeling twisted in his gut as she looked at him with those eyes. They tortured him. And his fathers voice and demands seemed to only further frighten her.

He stood and opened the door, coming face to face with his father and the two Goddess. "Can't this talk wait until morning? I'm very tired."

"I will bring her down to the cells—" Ghetsis made a move to brush past N, but he wasn't having any of it.

N use his shoulder and focused on putting all his weight on one side, effectively shoving the old Sage out of the room. "She is under my protection. Don't you dare get cocky, Sage Ghetsis. She's within my grasp."

For long, tense seconds, the room dropped a few degrees before the older male left, soon followed by the goddesses who made sure everything was alright. After closing the door, N took his seat on the chair again and only stared at Touko with unmoving eyes.

She fidgeted in her spot, growing nervous but slightly relaxed that she was not going to be handed to a person who wanted her dead. But she was also getting tired and knew she would not be able to keep this up all night.

Finally declaring herself insane, Touko shred the large clothes, thankful for the vest and shorts she had on under and lifted the blankets. She gave one last look at N before curling into a fetal position, hoping to try and get some sleep but that seemed impossible when he jerked with a start of surprise.

"Are you mental? You're just going to sleep, just like that?"

"Well what do you want me to do?" She sat up, furiously but also happy that he was finally talking to her. "I can't hold a staring contest all night. I'm tired!"

"I expect you to!" He snarled and stood, stomping over to his dresser to pull out a t-shirt and chucking it over to her. "Here."

She caught the fabric and knew what he expected her to do. She pulled the blanket up over her head, swiftly taking the vest off, choosing to leave her shorts on, and putting the over sized shirt on before pushing the blanket back down. N was once again sitting on that chair, watching.

Touko tried to accept this. Accept that things between them were irreparable because a simple hug and kiss would not forgive her betrayal. But if he had no intentions of patching things up with her, why was he so obsessed with bringing her back here? Revenge, perhaps? No, otherwise he would have gotten to work on it instead of staring so intently.

'Maybe this is his version of revenge since I can barely stand the silence, let alone the way he's looking at me.' And the way he was looking wasn't very nice.

She thought of what happened moments ago, when he asked if she was mental just because she decided to go to sleep and realized how horrible that looked. Maybe he was expecting more of a fight out of her but she herself didn't know what to expect and just wanted to shut the world out.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she gave him a tired look before declaring, "I'm going to bed now," and let her head drop onto the pillow she used to sleep on months ago. No longer did it smell sweet but musky and all male. She scrunched her eyes up and willed herself not to drown in his natural essence but it actually helped her relax and achieve somewhat dream state.

Touko woke with a start, confused at her surroundings but yesterdays events all came plummeting down on her as if she was doused with ice cold water. She whipped her head to the side, expecting to see N sleeping beside her but it looked as if that side of the bed hasn't been touched. She then glanced to the chair and gasped. He continued to sit there, staring at her with now tired eyes, bags of soft black under his eyes.

"Have you... been there the whole night? Awake?" She whispered and felt her brows furrow, lips tugging down into a frown.

"How can you sleep?" His voice sounded rough and pained. "How can you sleep like everything is okay? Have you been able to sleep so well this whole time?"

"I—" She didn't exactly know what to say and was almost thankful he cut her off. Almost.

"I could barely sleep for months, let alone function," He murmured, eyes narrowing dangerously. "I was forced down into the mattress like some animal while they injected sedatives into my system. After two weeks of that torture I agreed to take sleeping pills at night. Anthea or Concordia were always present to make sure I did take them and swallowed. It was awful at first, succumbing to the darkness that followed sleep but soon I began to embrace it because it was the only time I did not feel pain."

Touko felt her insides twist with a sense of pity. She obviously had gotten through the pains of not sleeping with the help of her friends but N didn't have anyone encouraging him on, except for Anthea and Concordia, but with the way things are now they probably don't see each other as much as they use to. She stopped thinking after realizing the king wasn't done talking.

"Not to mention I barely ate. When I did, I threw up. For a long while I was put on a liquid diet when I wasn't out in public or in meetings, but in the privacy of my office or room, an IV would be place into my hand for two hours." He lifted his left hand and rubbed the bruised skin over his vein. "Just a few months ago I was put back on solid food."

"That's too extreme... " Touko whispered, eyes wide. She didn't believe she could affect someone else so strongly, but she should not have been surprised when the other person had limited interaction with everyday normal people.

"It's your fault." He muttered harshly, sending another glare her way.

"Well then why didn't you sleep last night?" She could not look away from his face, no matter how much it hurt her.

"Hah, and give you the chance to escape again? Not a chance. My father has also been pretty restless about these turn of events. Throughout the night he has stopped by and tried to talk sense into me."

"You can't watch me all the time."

"Yes, I can. I did it before I can do it again but with a tighter collar on you."

That made Touko swallow nervously, wondering if this had been the best idea. "But you have work to attend to."

"I can put it off or give it to someone else to do."

"Then why not just give it all up, stop everything?" Touko hoped that he would want to be with her more than chasing what he believes in but he dashed, crushed her hopes.

"I still strongly believe in my dream, strive to fulfill it and go beyond," he spoke with strong conviction in his voice before he lapsed into silence, as if in deep thought before asking, "Why were you at my lecture? Have you been thinking about it and decided that you know what I'm doing is right?"

"I missed you," she blurted out and felt her face flare with heat at the admission.

N looked positively pleased at this and he had the rarest hint of smiles tugging at his lips. "Why don't you join me once again, but this time as partners? I know together, with the power of our legendaries we can bring peace to the Pokemon world—"

"No," Touko quickly cut him off before he could continue and create delusions that would never happen. "I still believe trainers should be able to freely capture Pokemon."

The smile dropped from N's face in nanoseconds and his shoulders began to shake in anger. Why couldn't she just stop being stubborn and see what he was doing was the right thing? Why did she fight with him every step of the way? Even when she was living here, seeming to enjoy herself, he could still see the resistance in her eyes and he noticed how she held herself back at some of the things he said. She missed him so why?

"What's the recent poster about?" She changed the subject and tried to keep her tone natural, uninterested.

"Which poster? Oh, that one. It was nothing." He waved his hand, emphasizing 'nothing'.

"What is your connection with Rozi?" She demanded next, not being able to keep the ugly vicious jealousy from her tone but didn't back down when he gave her a look of surprise.

N relished in this rare emotion from the female on the bed. When they were together before she almost showed no interest in him romantically, it was always him initiating something and she just followed along. Without missing a beat he stood fluidly and walked over to the bed, sitting in front of the brunette. "Are you jealous of Rozi?"

Touko stiffened and clamped her mouth shut, refusing to respond. This made N grit his teeth at her lack of cooperation. He wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her until she yelped in pain, poured out her feelings and begged to be back with him but now he saw it was all just wishful dreaming. Instead, he reached out and began tracing his fingers along her shoulders, arms, hands.

She felt herself go rigid and knew the best thing to do was swat his hands away but she, oh, she missed his touch so much, it was borderline sinful. Those tantalizing fingers sent shivers down her spine as they danced along her skin and she didn't even bother stopping him when they brushed along her sides, her hips, thighs...

"Something isn't right here," he murmured.

"Eh?" She asked, slightly breathless and looked down where his hands went back to her hips. Oh, God, had she gained weight again? The thought of him poking fat made her want to curl up with a bucket of ice cream.

"I expected you to be carrying your Pokemon with you, Zekrom at least. There wasn't even anything in your bag, save for a novel." His eyes were calculating, confused.

"I was not expecting to be caught," she spoke quickly, hoping to drop the subject and leave no room for suspicion. "I was just going to the library to get a few books." And sadly, that was the truth.

"Hm," he hummed, staring at her for a moment longer before standing up and heading towards the door. "You're right about one thing, I can't forget about work so, sadly, I must leave you here for the day. But don't relax yet. There is a camera installed in my room now, though only Concordia, Anthea and the top for Plasma members have access to the security screens." He didn't say anything for a long moment, his gaze hard. "I won't let you leave again, Touko. So banish any thoughts of escaping from your head." He left without another word.

Touko felt her heart leap in her chest and kept her head still while glancing around the room trying to find where exactly the camera was located. It was in the corner, obviously, on the same wall as the door so it could see who came in and what was in the room.

She had nothing else to do but wait. Wait until Red and the others came to ambush the place before she could engage N in a battle. And who knows how long that will take? The whole point of her being captured is to lower the kings guard and it looks like it'll take more than a day for that to happen. So she will have to be docile for awhile. Then who ever this spy is will most likely relay information to Red and bam! Everything will finally come to an end.

She sat there for a few more minutes before deciding she could use a shower, slightly disgusted she wasn't able to last night because she had planned to after the trip to the library. She got up and headed to the bathroom, grateful N hadn't had a camera installed there, and stripped down until she was naked before jumping into the shower.

She alternated the water temperature between blistering hot and freezing cold, due to where her thoughts would lead her. If she thought about N, how beautiful he looked no matter how skinny, she would freeze to cool her thoughts. If she had thoughts about just giving up she would punish herself with scalding heat. By the time Touko finished her shower, her skin was a bright pink from the beating it took. She dried herself off and wrapped the towel tightly around her body.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, Touko found a set of clothes folded neatly on the bed. She walked over, picked them up and went back to the bathroom to put them on. A white shirt, bra, panties and black shorts. Boring. Plain.

'At least it's not those awful gowns,' she thought with distaste.

She stepped back out into the bedroom and placed her hands on her hips and wondered what the hell she was going to do now, cooped up in this stuffy room. She couldn't leave, no doubt the door was locked and being guarded from the outside, and she couldn't snoop around the room with the camera watching her. She resisted the urge to throw objects up at it in hopes of breaking it. It would no doubt draw attention and she would get in serious trouble.

'But this whole situation is serious trouble. Damn Plasma, damn Ghetsis, and damn N, that sexy—Ugh!' she let out a sound of frustration and stomped over to the bed, plopping down and pulling her novel out of her satchel. Reading would help her escape reality!

Ten minutes later she chucked the book back in her bag. Touko was fuming. Not only did the main characters piss her off because they avoid their feelings for each other but build up such high sexual tension, she could barely concentrate on the story. She needed to work out to clear her thoughts, like she always do.

Without much thoughts to the people watching her, Touko got down onto the floor and began doing the exercise she had most trouble with. Push-ups. One of the people at the main base had been appalled to learn she could barely do one push-up and made it their absolute duty to make sure she could do twenty by the end of the week. From there on it was a slow but sure build up.

After fifteen minutes Touko was sweating bullets but that didn't stop her from doing her stretches, and crunches. It wasn't long until there was a polite knock on the door before it opened, revealing the last person Touko thought she would see.

"Anthea?" If her memory serves her correct, this goddess was not very fond of her for defiling her precious king, so this sudden visit was a surprise.

"Miss Touko," the goddess nodded and came forward.

Touko scrambled to stand up and stood their awkward, not sure if she should prepare herself for a screaming match. Instead, the goddess stood in front of her, looked down and gasp.

"Are you alright? That looks like it hurts."

"Eh?" Touko looked down and saw nothing but her clothes and glistening skin. "Am I hurt somewhere?"

"Right here." She pointed to a spot on the younger woman's unblemished skin.

"There's nothing there," Touko frowned but the older woman was not having any of it.

"You need to learn to take better care of yourself. Come with me, I'll put a bandage on it for you." She grabbed Touko and all but dragged her into the bathroom.

"Anthea, what are—" she was cut off by the bone crushing hug.

"You stupid, stupid girl," Anthea whispered tearfully, her arms tightening around Touko's shoulders.

She stood there, shocked. Touko expected screaming, yelling even, but not this. She returned the hug weakly, still confused by the other's actions. "Are you okay, Anthea?"

"No," the goddess shook her head and leaned down to rest it on Touko's shoulders. "I don't know if I should scold or thank you for returning."

"I was kind of expecting the former," she confessed sheepishly.

"Yes, everyone knows how I treasure and adore our king. Having you back here will either create problems or solutions. So far, it's heading south."

"I've created that much havoc again, didn't I?"

"All of the great Sages, especially Ghetsis, are livid about your return. And... " she bit her lip, unsure if she should reveal more but decided in the next moment. "Even among the Plasma members there is some unrest."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that ever since you left, or perhaps ever since things started changing drastically, some members how been questioning if this is really what they want." Touko released herself from the embrace to looked at the older woman properly, waiting for her to continue. She looked young the last time Touko saw her but now she could see the fine wrinkles making themselves known at the corners of her eyes, possibly due from stress and worry. "I've heard mumblings among them. They question if they should leave and join the rebels, or just simply leave the region and go somewhere free. Some even cried at the thought to be in your shoes, giving up your Pokemon. Those who join either do it for the money or because they strictly believe what Plasma truly stands for.

When Concordia and I were given the task to watch over N, condition him to the beliefs he stands by today, it was because we were ordered to but we only did it because of what we believed would be best for him. That's why whatever he does, we'll stand by his side. But now I truly regret leading him in this direction. He should not have been raised around abused Pokemon. He is so narrow minded and haughty, it makes us fret over where we went wrong."

'Whoa, she's bad mouthing N,' Touko thought in mild shock but didn't say anything.

"Which brings me to the real reason for coming to you. Why are you here, Touko? Have you finally given up and surrendered to him?" There was a hint of unease and panic in Anthea's voice, compelling the younger woman to tell the truth.

"No, of course not. I came to bring him down."

Anthea blinked owlishly before smiling wryly. "Then, just this once, Concordia and I will stand by your side."

"Thank you," Touko sighed, relief flooding her system at the notion of having 'friends' on the inside once again. "I got an off topic question for you."

"Hm?" The goddess perked up, wiping away tears that were beginning to build up in her eyes.

"That poster with N and Rozi... I asked N but he didn't exactly say."

"Oh yes, I was on duty with Concordia when that happened."

Touko felt her face flame up. The two goddess, N's guardians, watched him feel her up. "He was just searching for my pokeballs."

"And didn't find them."

"I have them hidden in a good place."

"Good," Anthea sighed and placed a hand on her hip. "I was afraid that you charged in without thinking the whole thing through."

"Nah, I'm not that dumb." 'Actually all credit goes to Red, but she does not need to know that.'

"As for your question, nothing is going on between them. Before N went to see Rozi, I tried giving him tips at how to get over heart break, guidelines, if you will. He skipped all the steps and went right to the courting process."

"So he did initiate the kiss," Touko murmured, feeling a sharp tug within her chest.

"He did, but Rozi refused him afterwards, saying she didn't feel anything towards him. They also weren't alone. The news only allows you to see what they want you to see. She was actually in a meeting with the other three members of the top four Plasma squad."

"Oh. That's... That's good." Touko felt her shoulders sag in relief and leaned against the sink for support before her legs decide to give out. "So I assume the Sages wanted this out, but for what reason?"

"Well Rozi's father wanted the whole world to see it but Sage Ghetsis mainly did it to attack you personally."

"Evil bas—,"

"Language," Anthea scolded.

"Sorry," Touko smiled sheepishly and sighed. "We have been in here too long, whoever is watching will notice."

"Do not worry, Concordia and I are on duty for at least another hour. But sometimes the videos are reviewed. So we'll have to make this as believable as possible."

"How do we go about that?"

Anthea just simply smiled, pulled out a knife and slashed at the spot she was pointing to earlier.

"Son of a—!" Touko was cut off suddenly by gauze being stuffed into her mouth.

"Hush, hush, now. It'll all be over soon." The goddess trilled in a sing song voice, pulling out more gauze from her robes. She grabbed some disinfect alcohol swabs from behind the mirror, ripping open the packages and rubbing them generously onto the new wound while ignoring the younger woman's screeching. Seconds later the gauze was taped onto the wound and she stepped back. "All better." She walked from the bathroom.

"That was uncalled for!" Touko stormed after her with a slight limp in her leg. "You couldn't have done that more gently?"

"Nope. If I did you would have backed out and found a more 'safer' way to hurt yourself."

Touko said nothing but grumbled unintelligible words until the goddess left, locking the door behind her.

. . .

A/N: Huge thanks to SaitoKeita and BlackRose105 for Beta'ing this chapter! c:


	27. Chapter 27

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Twenty Seven.

. . .

N could barely contain the urge to squeal in glee and skip with victory. She was back! Back to where she belonged, in his room, in his presence. It was where she was destined to be the whole time, her running away was just a rebellion. Or so he would like to believe.

Last night he had been highly strung, suspicious of every movement she made, expecting her to bolt any moment, to engage in a Pokemon battle but none came. Of course it was too good to be true so he had to do a pat down.

Her body...

N couldn't resist the shiver shooting down his spine. She had filled out and toned up over the past three years. Although the present of her tiny butt did not look so big and more on the flat side, he still accepted her wholeheartedly.

After the pat down, he couldn't resist asking her about being defenseless. It all turned out splendid in his favor when she answered. What great luck! He had to strongly resist from grinning like a fool.

Oh, he may be happy that she's back but that didn't mean he has forgiven her for what hell he went through. Everyday was agonizing repeated torture, he was barely surprised he survived at all. His father had done well to keep him motivated, to stay on track for what he believed in. He almost lost his way, ready to break down and beg the rebels to tell Touko he had thrown up the white flag, but thankfully Ghetsis was there to smarten him up.

His father was a cruel man, N had known this ever since he was young, because no matter how many times he had begged the man to stop showing up with beaten Pokemon, the man continued to do so. The elder Harmonia never showed warmth, love or compassion to anyone, much less his son. But because of this, N was now able to grab hold of that coldness and grasp it as his own just so he could go on.

N reached his office within minutes, swiping his card key into the slot beside the door before it opened and granted him access. His office remained the same, except any picture frames that were previously there were taken down, his walls painted to plain white. It was now cold instead of inviting, a padded cell instead of a comfort zone.

Papers littered his desk, most are recent documents, a few old from yesterday when he was too tired to put it away before going out to tour the southern part of Unova. Earlier that day he was tempted to just postpone it but his father promised him a months break from his speeches, so he obliged without another word, ready to just get it over and done with.

And he was thankful to the old coot for talking him into going. Or else he would have never saw her. He felt like hugging his father and thanking Arceus for his luck.

In all honesty, he had no idea how he felt about seeing her there at first. He didn't know if he should be happy or mad, upset or grateful. It was almost as if she had no _right_ to show up in front of him like that after all this time. He was actually able to go on everyday smoothly, with a lot of work to help him along, but now that she was back he didn't think he would be able to go on anymore if she were to somehow escape from him once again.

N wanted to hold her, oh, so badly it was hurting just to think, to imagine it. He wanted to smother her in kisses, bite her exposed flesh, to imprint himself on her to let others know they were not allowed to go near her. She was his and his alone. He wished to cover her up completely if she ever went in public again, even within the tower, he wanted no else, especially the men, to see her lovely tanned skin, her sweet curves, those sapphire eyes burning with a fiery passion.

N shivered and shook his head. It would not do him well to let his thoughts wonder. But he could not help it...

Touko. Touko. Touko.

He snarled. He was not at work for more than two hours and he was already craving to see her. It was pathetic to see how weak his self control was. Without another thought he jabbed the intercom button to the security room.

"I want Touko in my office, now. And from now on only Concordia or Anthea will be on security camera watch, no one else."

He cut off the intercom before the person on duty could say a thing. If he wanted anyone to see what's his, it would be his mother figures, females. They wouldn't dare pry onto Touko like lustful men would, defiling her with their eyes. Disgusting.

Ten long minutes passed before there was a hesitant light knock on the door. He buzzed the person through and Touko herself walked into the room, looking nervous but guarded. Anthea was behind her but she gave a small bow and left the room just as quickly, closing the door behind her.

N watched her through half lidded eyes, seeing her shoulders tense at his smothering gaze. Inside he felt ecstatic that she was nervous around him, almost docile and waiting for his next orders. Although he was a little surprised she came down without a fight, he was going to stay guarded as well. Can't have her 'seducing' him again, like his father said before.

"Take a seat," he swallowed and cleared his throat, a tad embarrassed that his voice sounded thick.

Wordlessly she obeyed, shuffling over to the couch that was behind him.

"Not there!" N hissed and jabbed his finger to the couch near the large open window. "Over there, where I can see you." He did not bring her over just so she can stay out of his sight.

He heard her give a rough sigh before marching over to the couch he pointed out and plopped down ungracefully, crossing her arms and avoided looking at him, opting to stare at the scenery before her.

N allowed her that much, just as long as she was in his line of sight, he wouldn't lose it. Fighting back a yawn and rubbing his tired eyes, he took out a fountain pen and began to work. Today was going to be long but bearable.

. . .

Touko glanced over at N after listening to the sound of shuffling papers and let out a silent sigh of relief to see that he was going to work instead of staring at her. She did not know the reason why he called her down but she had a feeling that he needed her close by for some reason. She hoped it wouldn't be like this for the remainder of her stay or else she would die of boredom. There was no books or magazines in sight.

Just the scenery of the lake and Castelia City, this would give her a peaceful time to think and day dream but her thoughts could only go so far because only one person was filling her head. Not to mention her imagination was limited, she was not the creative one in the bunch.

Touko could only stand her imagination for ten minutes before reaching a dead end and it made her rethink her nonexistent knowledge in that department. She then decided to suck it up and switch her thoughts over to her once-again-captor.

N was beautiful, despite being a tad thin and boney. His eyes were and still are as mesmerizing as she remembered and she felt goosebumps rise when they would rake over her, almost sensually. From what Touko could tell last night, his hands had grown a little more bigger and were rough feeling but warm and a little jerky in their movements when he was giving her a pat down. But other than that, he stayed gentle.

Touko just wanted to hug him. And cry. She was just so tired of fighting, she was half tempted to bring out her Pokemon and battle him now to get it all over and done with but knew the grunts and Ghetsis would be hot on her trail soon after. She would have to wait for Red and hoped he didn't keep her waiting long.

Speaking of the devil... Did she ever want to sock the living daylights out of him for tricking her like that. The next time they meet, when she was back in Nuvema Town, she was going to switch his coffee to low graded beans. He loved the unique blend of the special Unova Bean coffee and she knew he planned on taking a few cans home but first he was going to experience the taste of death.

Touko let out a small chuckle at the thought and regretted it a second later.

"What's so funny?" N asked and turned in his chair, giving the love and hate of his life his full attention.

"Nothing," she muttered and turned back to look out the window, hoping to spot Red coming in on Charizard at full throttle. No such luck.

"Well it's obviously something hilarious to have made you giggle."

"It was honestly nothing," Touko sighed and raked a hand through her hair, silently cursing when she was met with a tangle. "I was just thinking of some friends back home."

"Miss them already even though you had three years with them?" He sneered and finally put down his pen, knowing he would not get any work done until he sort this out with that infuriating woman.

"Three years is not even enough to make up for what I missed in that one year," Touko gave him an accusing stare and frowned. "They're my friends, I miss them all. And my mother. My mother! How can you—" She stopped herself before she can say anything hurtful but it appeared N knew the direction she was headed in.

"Hmph, I may not have grown up with a mother or a normal family for that matter but that doesn't mean I still wish for one. I have Concordia and Anthea to thank for keeping me grounded."

Touko dipped her head in shame, unable to meet his eyes. After a few minutes of agonizing silence, she looked up to see if he went back to work but started when he was standing in front of her, a small, almost inaudible gasp escaping. His eyes displayed so many emotions, so many that she could not even began to pick them apart.

N cradled the sides of her head with both his hands before swooping down and butting foreheads. It hurt, both of them grunting at the pain, but he stayed that way and Touko could not recoil due to him clutching her.

"I just want to be in your head for one hour! I want to know what the hell your thinking, what you're feeling!"

"I can assure you nothing interesting is going on up in there. You'll die of boredom."

"Then why were you laughing? What exactly is lifting your mood right now because let me tell you, I feel far from joy. I just. Want. To. Know." He bit out each word through clenched teeth and felt his hands began to shake.

Touko bit her lip, contemplating on actually telling him the truth, although he would not like it one bit. "You want me to tell you?" He nodded. "The truth?"

"I wouldn't want anything else."

Touko sighed. "I was thinking about Red."

N's entire frame stilled, including his breathing. His face was a blank canvas and Touko wanted to stretch his lips upward so badly into a smile. But it appeared she was not needed because his lips took on a fierce scowl, brows furrowed, eyes aflame and it sounded as if he was growling.

"Another man? You were giggling because you were thinking of another man?!" He all but shouted in her face and clutched her her head tighter.

Touko let out a distressed cry before gripping onto N's wrists, digging her nails into his skin but he did not budge, not even when he began to bleed. "It's not what you think! He's just a friend!"

"Oh, like how we were friends?"

The past tense in the comment jabbed Touko painfully but she gritted her teeth and pushed onwards. "No! Never like that, only you..., you—I... " Touko wanted to hide now as she felt her tears beginning to burn behind her eyes.

"You shouldn't even have to think of anyone else but me," he now whispered harshly and lessened his grip on her head and began to stroke his fingers through her hair, as if in apology. "No one else matters, Touko, why do you continue to stir these feelings within me? You drive me insane."

She was about to deny his claims but knew he would only get angry again. "I wasn't— I was just thinking how much he loved coffee," she whispered back, quite pathetically.

N blinked before releasing a halfhearted chuckle. "See? I would be entertained for hours in your head."

They were silent for long moments, N staring at her, Touko staring down at her lap. After another long minute N sighed and withdrew from his position and sat back down at his desk, determined to ignore her for the rest of the day.

Touko did not feel calm at all. He went from obsessing to scary to amused in such a short amount of time, she honestly wished he would settle on one emotion and stick with it because she could not keep up.

. . .

At some point during the afternoon after lunch, Touko laid out on the couch and fell asleep, the heavy meal coaxing melatonin to circulate her system.

N was done working for the day, not that it was ever done, but it was near five and he had enough. Before, he would work himself into the early morning until one of the goddesses came out and begged him to get some sleep. Now that he had Touko back, there was no need to over work himself.

He picked her up, struggling a little to balance her weight in his arms and frowned. Perhaps he was too weak and skinny... Shaking his head, N steeled himself with determination and headed for the bedroom.

He laid her down gently on her side of the bed and stood back to drink her in.

Touko looked peaceful and at peace when she slept. No frowns, no crinkling in her forehead from furrowing her brows. She openly stated she trusted him just by falling asleep in his presence, twice. But he would never hurt her intentionally and she probably knew that.

After hearing her confession of thinking about another man made him see blood red anger. He wanted to cause damage, physically or mentally, it didn't matter, as long as it was inflicted, the urge to lash out was strong. Touko didn't know this but he ended up breaking three fountain pens at different hours of the day after she dozed off. Just thinking about this 'Red' guy was enough to set him on edge.

Thinking of 'Red' made her giggle. Because the man liked coffee. N frowned. He liked coffee too, he loved strong coffee but that was no reason to have a laugh over it. Women are strange creatures. Or perhaps, it was just Touko who was just complex.

N took this rare opportunity to let his eyes wonder over her form without the blanket protecting her from his gaze. It looked like she toned out in the past three years. When she was here, she was pretty lanky, almost like an asparagus. His eyes never went lower than her knees because he spotted a taped gauze on the inner part of her thigh and frowned.

'I never noticed that before. When did that happen?' He questioned mentally and reached forward, ready to pull the bandage off to get a better look at the mysterious wound but thought better of it and pulled back, giving his head a hard shake.

N fished his cellphone from his pocket, speeding dialing a number down in the kitchen and ordering dinner for two to be brought up onto his room before hanging up.

What did he want now? N was not entirely sure. In the beginning of his dark days, he imagined what he would do when Touko flew back into his arms, willingly, and would forgive her and they would be happy again. But as time wore on he gave up such foolish thoughts and never thought she would be here again, so he was not exactly sure what to do with her.

They obviously couldn't continue where they left off, although he desperately wanted to head up to the roof with her and watch the stars, this time alone and without Hoshi.

It was a shame that his father told him the man retired to live with his wife. He was a excellent worker and, N shyly admits, a good friend to him and Touko. He had no doubt that she visited him multiple times while out in Unova and felt jealous that yet once again the now ex-grunt was still on good terms with her. Heck, even the goddesses still appeared to be on good terms with her.

Feelings pissed off once again, N picked up the pillow Touko's head laid on and smacked her lightly with it. She woke up with a start, legs kicking out until she sat in a crouch, her upper body lowered while her eyes danced wildly, looking frantic until her eyes rested on her captor.

N got kicked in this little episode, that he assumed she trained herself to do because she looked to be on the defensive, ready to strike at any moment, and stumbled back a bit.

"Ouch," He grumbled, rubbing the sore spot where he was kicked on the right leg.

"Oops," Touko whispered and relaxed, sitting down properly and let her legs dangle on the edge of the bed, "Sorry. Habit."

"I bet," He grumbled once again before standing up and squaring his shoulders, arms crossed. "How did you get that wound on your leg? How come I did not see it last night?"

Touko froze at the questions and mentally cursed herself for not thinking of an answer or a story to the cut Anthea had given her this morning. "W—well last night when I was tackled to the ground by those grunts, I guess I was injured but too shocked by what was going on that I didn't notice it. As for not seeing it, unless you snuck a peek under the covers while I was sleeping, I'm not surprised you didn't notice it." She felt so proud that she wanted to give herself a pat on the back.

"Oh." N frowned and allowed his arms to hang limply at his sides. "I don't know what to do with you."

"Well excuse me for being a klutz," she snapped. It was almost as if he was talking condescendingly to a child.

"No, I don't mean that," he shook his head at his accusation. "I mean that, now that you are here, I don't know what I should do with you."

"Ah," she blushed in embarrassment and frowned shortly afterwards. "I don't know, either. I honestly thought you'd have a list written out."

"Perhaps once, I did," his smile was one of a ghost, almost invisible, nearly there. "But all I want to do it hug you so tight that you won't be able to breathe until you're begging, but I can't stand to touch you so casually."

Touko flinched at his words and looked down at her hands, examining the tiny white and pink scars, old and new. "I feel the same way, almost. I want to touch you but I feel as if I don't have the right to. I wouldn't mind touching you but I don't want to be bitten."

"That's wise of you, because I bite. Hard." N felt a shiver slither down his spine at her admission of wanting to touch him too, pleased that she would not be reluctant to do so if it weren't for him ready to lash out at a moment of contact.

"But seeing as you carried me here without waking me up, it seems like you can stand the touch of me. You could have easily woken me up or just left me there." Touko pointed out and N silently cursed her for that.

"Hah, as if I was just going to leave you there and there was no way I was going to let some brute bring you here." The idea made a tremor of anger rush through his veins and he fought to control it. "Don't get me wrong. Just because I can't stand to touch you doesn't mean I'll stop together all at once. You were asleep so it was easier."

'This man is so confusing,' Touko mentally whined before releasing a tired sigh. She opened her mouth, ready to ask him what they should do then but he began talking before her.

"After you you left, you gave me yet another reason why humans are hurtful creatures."

"We are going to fight again," she thought sadly and shook her head. "You can't base my actions on every single being on the planet."

"But in a way, everyone is like that. They'll do something that seems harmless but in the end they will hurt someone."

"I can't keep everyone happy, N! These past years have been stressful on me, keeping everyone content, constantly watching myself. You can't keep everyone happy, either, so don't go preaching that crap in my face."

"Hm, it seems you've gained a dirty mouth while you've been gone," N murmured disapprovingly at her choice of words. "But you see, I can keep the people I care about happy. Which is the goddesses, my father and the Pokemon."

"Hah, using my 'horrid' language as a defense on your part is pretty low. And you're making your father unhappy just by having me here, alive. Not to mention Anthea and Condcordia, all they ever do is worry about you now."

N felt his shoulders tense and he gave a low snarl. "Don't talk about them like that as if you know them!"

"And also," she continued as if she never heard him. "You're saying that you don't care for me. I was not added in the list of people you care about keeping happy."

"You dropped off the list after you left."

"No, N, before that. While I was here for that one year all I could think of was home, my mother and friends. Even when I was laughing or looking happy, there was always a feeling of sadness deep in my chest."

"You're lying," he whispered and he felt himself began to shake, his emotions starting to become a little too overwhelming.

"You feel something for me, don't you?" Touko also, her voice also dropping to a whisper. "That's why you're so conflicted about everything. If I was like any other person I would be disposed of but since I actually mean something to you, you have no idea how to handle me and my betrayal."

"Be quiet... "

"And you do want to touch me. You want to hold me close like we did before but doing so would go back against what you said before about not being able to stand the sight of me. You're putting up a defense that is nonexistent and it is slowly crumbling."

"I told you to shut it—"

"Kiss me."

"Shut up!"

N took two large steps forward and grabbed Touko's wrist. For one second she thought her heart would stop and he would actually kiss her. After all, she was partly bluffing through all this. But instead he pulled her wrist up to her mouth. He inhaled deeply before biting down sharply.

Touko cried out in pain but didn't pull back. N held on for several long seconds before unclenching his teeth, giving the bruised skin a small lick and dropping her wrist.

"I'll go check on dinner," he mumbled dryly and stalked out of the room, without looking back and slamming the door hard. Oh boy, he was angry.

Touko couldn't help the sad smile forming on her lips while she examined her painful love wound. This proved that he still had feelings for her and that he very much wanted to touch her, but he also viewed her as his weak link now, the chaos to his emotions and judgement. He would definitely be on a tougher guard now.

Looking at the bruised skin again, Touko allowed a happier smile to form on her face, looking on the brighter side of things and seeing it as progress, and pressed her lips against the sensitive flesh.

. . .

A/N: Huuuuge thanks to my Beta reader, BlackRose105. And a big thanks to everyone who waited for this chapter to come out! Sorry much did not happen, just some fan service with a side dish of angst. c:

Ahhh, what is your favorite part of this creepy chapter? I liked the biting part. _ -perv-

And a note to Zoey(Guest):... Sure, you can send me a Pokemon card! So don't lose faith in me. xD


	28. Chapter 28

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Chapter Twenty Eight.

. . .

When N had eventually returned with their meals that night, it was as if a switch had been flipped inside him. It was like he shut his emotions off, save for an annoying spasm twitch in his left eye, and whenever Touko tried to make conversation or ask innocent questions he would keep his responses short, clipped, and without feeling.

For the next few days the king had slept for a few hours on the chair before going to his office to work. He never called for the trainer to come again. One of the goddesses always came by with meals or reading materials, never a newspaper.

She had once requested a radio from Concordia, but the older woman shook her head, her eyes an endless pit of despair, as if she was beginning to lose faith, that N has too far gone to be saved. It also made Touko panic.

Her heart quickened at the thought, of N never changing from this coma state of hate and blind ideals. She believed that she could be the one to change him, to heal him, but perhaps it was best to get off her high horse and look at the situation more realistically.

When the final battle is over, which Touko will win, she imagined N giving up and accepting fate as it is and he would finally allow himself to let go and find happiness with some help from her. And some therapy. But when she actually sat down and thought about it, she herself did not accept everything as it was when she lost their battle. No, she waited patiently for everything to span out perfectly and picked the opportune moment to strike back.

It's possible N could be no different. He was completely driven to bring 'peace and unity' between Pokemon and humans that Touko should never let her guard down around him. Maybe he will use the same dirty tactics she did? Slowly 'warm up' to her own ideals and make believe that he turned over a new leaf, waiting until she was at her weakest before going in for the kill.

Touko bit the inside of her cheek when she thought of N that way. Feelings of regret swamped her as she thought that is was practically her fault he turned out that way. If she stayed, maybe they could have...

'No!' She thought angrily and gave her head a hard shake as if hoping it would banish such thoughts.

This was the problem with leaving her alone for so long, she got really bored and really paranoid. Thankfully Anthea promised to be back with a few puzzle games. An hour ago. And now here was Touko, thinking of all the things that could have been. She could have easily surrendered then her and N wouldn't be in this position right now—

"Noooooo!" She whined and began to beat a pillow harshly until there was a rough knock on the door. "Anthea, do you honestly want me to go mental before I completely self—destruct?!" Touko hissed out but there was a tone of gratitude in her words.

She scrambled off the bed just as the door began to open, ready to greet the goddess with flattering words, because flattery gets her more reading material, but her steps faltered when she saw the unexpected visitor lingering in the door way for a moment before entering completely.

"... Lithe?"

"Yo."

Touko resisted the urge of letting her jaw unhinge and drop to the floor. She sent a worried glance towards the surveillance camera before looking at the Plasma member standing there, looking absolutely lazy, hands shoved in his slacks and shoulders slumped, an air of complete ease surrounding his being.

When she first saw him years ago in the meeting room with Hoshi and the other squad members, he had been pretty, for a boy, and fiery with passion. But now his features had sharpened, giving him a more alluring look, and it appeared as if he worked out from the way his uniform fit him snugly, showing off nice clothed biceps... but he also looked and sounded absolutely lazy. His once neatly combed blond hair was a bed head mess, there was a slight scuffle in his walk due to the dragging of his feet. From what Touko could remember, she saw plenty of people who walked and acted like this in Castelia City, office workers. Perhaps he had been assigned a desk job?

"Uhm, I don't think you're allowed-" He cut her off before she could continue.

"Anthea wanted me to drop this off for you." He held up a hand that held three thin puzzle books and tossed them on the bed, not even apologizing when one bounced off and landed on the ground, the thin sheets squashing and creasing at the odd angle it fell on.

"Oh, she was busy? B—but I don't think—" He cut her off once again.

"It's really you."

"Pardon?"

"There was a rumor around the tower that you had returned but Ghetsis threatened to silence anyone who is found gossiping about it. Even Rozi wouldn't say a single word." Lithe let out a long and tired sigh before scratching the small field of stubble on his pointed chin. "Man, that guy," he gave another sigh but it sounded more annoyed.

"... " Touko was speechless. She honestly had no clue what to think or feel, heck, she could barely process this guy's presence at the moment.

"Listen, Anthea wanted me to bring you to the roof while N is out doing his speech rounds today. Said it'll be good to get you fresh air once in awhile."

"Oh," she mumbled dumbly and began to follow the blonde man with jerky movements.

She closed the door behind her and stayed behind Lithe very closely until she realized no one else was in the corridors. Usually there was a couple grunts going around doing work.

As if sensing the question floating in her head, the squad member gestured to the small round globe security camera on the ceiling. "You have the goddesses to thank for that. They made sure to assign all Plasma members, on this floor, work on another part of the building. So this will have to be a quick trip. They will page me when someone is heading back to their post."

They said nothing more as they got onto the elevator. Touko remember it all by memory, as if she just went to the roof yesterday. They descended to the second floor and headed to the stairwell, going up three flight of stairs. Lithe pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door, opening it completely before stepping out.

Touko shivered when the gust of air hit her but upon stepping outside, the sun warmed her bones. She inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly, doing this a few times with her eyes closed before opening them and taking in the view. Everything was the same up here.

"Thank you," Touko turned to Lithe and gave a small smile of gratitude while trying to keep the moisture from her eyes.

"It would do you well to have a few minutes of freedom or surely you will go crazy at being confined once again."

"That is true," she nodded and walked over the railing, her heart fluttering when she looked down the building, legs going weak. "I could actually promise you that N would not have allowed this."

"Correct."

It was silent for a few short moments until the brunette scrunched her brows together and a frown tugged her lips downward. She turned towards Lithe, eyes going guarded when she saw that he was no longer slouching, hands tense at his sides and eyes looking serious, no more carefree.

"Why are you being nice to me? Yet, why are you following Anthea's and Concordia's orders? Aren't you serving directly under N?"

Touko felt a sense of dread come over her. What if this was a test sent from N? To see if she would step outside without his permission? To try and escape, maybe, and Lithe would report it to him and it would just be another reason to distrust her. Perhaps then he would truly lock her away from the world.

"Man, he didn't mention you being a scatterbrain," Lithe complained and reached into the pouch at his side, unzipping the tiny bag and took out a shiny brown and white bag before chucking it at the brunette.

Touko caught it, after a series of awkward juggling, before flipping it over with shaky hands, almost afraid of what she'll see. That was until...

**HIGH QUALITY COFFEE BEANS**

She froze for a nanosecond before reading the bold black letters over and over again. And it all clicked.

"Your his spy?!"

"Sadly," Lithe sighed and slouched again, only this time it looked genuine. "He said you might want those during your stay."

"I—But—He—"

"I ran into him one day while I was at the market in Castelia town. He pulled me aside and politely threatened that I help you or I'll never prove to Rozi of how much of a man I am."

"Oh," was all Touko could murmur. She knew Red had a way with words but that was...

"And he told me what happened to Hoshi."

"Ah." She turned around and looked towards the ocean while biting her bottom lip and digging her stubby nails into the palms of her hands and coffee bean bag, anything to keep her from bawling like a babe.

"I really respected the man, he was a good guy and he had it all figured out, but so good that I almost wanted to dislike him."

"Why is that?"

"He's almost easy going. I was jealous, you could say. He would always keep his cool. I guess you could say I also looked up to him as a mentor... until you swooped in. I was sure he would toss your friendship aside."

Touko breathed in deeply for a moment before deciding they could not chat idly about the past. They are here on limited time.

"I assume there is another reason for bringing me out here besides care for my well being?"

"No security cameras."

"And?"

"Red wants to know if you still have your Pokeballs on you. I informed him that your original clothes got tossed. He sounded pretty alarmed."

"Oh, yes, I still have them."

Lithe ran his eyes up and down her form, skeptical but said nothing more on the subject. "He'll be coming soon, next week, hopefully."

"That soon? The last time I was told help was coming, it came the very next day."

"He was contemplating waiting a month, because your capture has raised defense and security around here but he is worried about your mental health."

Touko felt her face flushed at that. She thought she had hidden her unstable feelings quite well around others but as always, nothing got past that infuriating coffee bean lover.

"Yeah well tell him that the only thing he has to be worried about is me getting bored. My mind tends to wander into frightening territory if I have nothing else to do."

"Mhmm, he did mention you keeping yourself extremely busy when you got back."

"Anything else?" Touko hissed out bitterly and was half tempted to chuck the coffee beans over the railing but knew Lithe would report it to Red and she would undoubtedly feel his wrath all the way over here.

"No, not really." Lithe shrugged before stiffening. "My pager is buzzing, we gotta go."

Touko was hot on his heels, passing him even when Lithe had to close the door and lock it. They stomped down the stairs, almost tripping a couple times before getting into the elevator. They waited on baited breaths when it made a soft 'bing', signaling they were on the top floor.

"Wait," Lithe held a hand out in front of her to prevent her from stepping out into the hallway. He went out first, looking up and down the corridor before motioning her along. "Come on, it looks like they're not here yet."

Touko didn't needed to be told twice before jogging all the way down the hall to N's bedroom. She opened the door and turned around, ready to thank Lithe but he silenced her with a sway of his hand.

"I'll be coming back the next couple of days to take you up again and to update you on Red's plans." That was all Lithe said before closing the door.

Touko felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest, adrenaline coursing through her veins. So many thoughts were racing through her head, she was almost ready to lay down and tear through the new puzzle books she received before the door opened once again.

"I'll take that," Concordia trilled, plucking the bag of coffee beans from the younger woman's hand. "I'll have a cup brought up within twenty minutes." She smiled before closing the door.

. . .

Over the next few days, true to his word, Lithe came by and brought Touko up to the roof, even when one of the days had cold rain and shivering winds. His Plasma uniform was either thick or he just did not show he was cold while she shivered, the chill biting her to the bone.

Each and every time Lithe had brought a bag of coffee beans and questioned Touko about it. "You love this stuff or something? He keeps sending me endless bags of coffee beans."

"I think he must have sensed my plans to pulverize his stash," she had muttered with mild annoyance, wondering perhaps if Red had somehow sensed her goal on messing with the coffee beans he planned on bringing back to his homeland.

But Touko had to admit, seeing those damn bags gave her comfort, even if it was slight, knowing she was not alone in this. Although, the last time she was annoyed she ended up chucking the bag over the railings. Lithe had given her a harsh scolding and had to retrieve the bag after he dropped her back off at the room.

So far she had learned that the rebels were now being sorted into groups. There was going to be waves of people charging in first, to bring down the defense system and everyone else would move in and detain as many grunts as they could capture.

From there the gym leaders would enter and hunt down the sages bringing them to Officer Jenny. Of course they had to borrow a few Pokemon from those who were too fearful to join in the rebellion, since their own had been taken by Ghetsis.

Touko then asked Lithe a question she had never thought about before until now. "What about the squad?"

"Ah, yes, they might be a problem, huh?" Lithe had sighed, as if it was all too troublesome to think about anymore.

Touko resisted from smacking him across the head. "Will they be? I never thought of you being in this alone."

"We all have been close friends for a long time, before any of this had happened. I have been thinking about it but everything is pointing in a negative direction. You see, Rozi has been the unofficial leader in our small group of friends, simply because she is full of confidence and knows how to direct people. Maru will follow her and Saiga will follow Maru."

"But Rozi appears to have changed so much... She doesn't seem happy in her position or situation. And you like her, no? I thought you would be tailing her as well."

Lithe finally broke out of the lazy ass persona and gave her a rueful, aching smile. "I love her, yes. But I know that she will never be happy here. She feels responsible somehow, for Hoshi's death, so she stays out of duty for him. She confided in me about something very important."

Touko took a deep breath and wiped her eyes before the tears could fall. There was no more time for tears, she had to stop. Besides, she doubt Lithe would comfort her, he would most likely chuck a handkerchief her way and say 'suck it up' before even thinking of offering any words to console.

"About what?"

"The night Rozi got promoted, once we were alone, she held onto me so tightly I thought I would forever have a breathing problem. Her hold was desperate, eyes pleading and wet, she just would not stop shaking." Lithe frowned at the memory and felt his chest twinge in discomfort. "She kept whispering 'It's all my fault', 'why did I let her escape', 'I should be shot'. Now, I thought someone slipped her something for her to be this hysterical."

"What are you talking about?" Touko turned to him, giving him her full attention.

"Rozi has a good head on her shoulders. She may be rash and quick to explode, but she was never hysterical or delusional. I felt bad but for that single moment I honestly thought she was on drugs. After I was able to calm her down, she confessed to me that she had been promoted. I congratulated her, of course, but also told her that's nothing to blubber over, even for her. Then she looked me in the eyes and said she got that position due to Hoshi's death."

Touko stopped breathing for a couple seconds, her mind racing. "She knew?"

"She witnessed the aftermath."

"Oh my Arceus... "

"She told me she went down to the old coot's office because he summoned her. She had assumed it was to reward her a job well done on helping you get out of dodge."

"Ah, yes. I remember how smug she looked when I was getting away."

"Mhmm," Lither hummed then got back on track. "Upon entering his office, she saw a large Pokemon, which she refuses to identify because she believes she was hallucinating. But that Pokemon had it's horn piercing through Hoshi."

"No, no," Touko shook her head, all thoughts of him being killed off swiftly and peacefully went down the drain and into the sewer. "That's not right, it's not!"

"Ghetsis is a cruel man. The four of us knew he was, we just never knew how much of that streak was deeply rooted. After that Rozi was prepped to take the lead position, in fear that if she took one step out of line she would be next."

"I would be too... if I saw something like that... "

"We all would. So you see why it will be difficult for me to persuade any of them over. As long as Rozi has this solid resolve of following orders, out of fear, she will not budge in fear of anything happening to us or her."

"Let me guess... Ghetsis has threatened her."

"Bingo. Said if she defied him then her friends, family, as well as herself, can say good bye to the world."

Touko felt bitterness and guilt wreck havoc on her emotions. Bitterness towards Ghetsis for being what he was, a monster. Guilt because she had escaped. Would Hoshi still be alive if she even had stayed? So many people were and are still getting hurt because of her, not just the rebels. If she had stayed, maybe everything would have been better, even in a world without Pokemon...

"Please, stop wallowing in despair, you'll make me ill." Lithe huffed impatiently and scratched his chin. "Stop blaming yourself, it's a waste of time for you and everyone else. It will complicate things if you began to break down now. Just remember, everything happens for a reason. Don't let Hoshi's death be in vain, that is just rude. He died for you and the freedom of Pokemon trainers everywhere, just as I am risking my life for the same cause."

"Y—You're absolutely right. Sorry for this, I just over think things and it just spirals down from there. Thank you."

"Hmm. I will have to try and think of a way to sway Rozi to the right side. She should have more faith in you."

"Fear does horrifying things to the human mind."

"Indeed, it does. There is someone I can think of who could convince Rozi to give it all up but she has been missing for a few years."

"Who might that be?"

"Her— Oops, there goes the pager. Let's head back."

After that chat Lithe never returned because N had just finished giving 'motivational speeches' for the month and was now staying in the tower once again.

Upon his return, the King seemed more relaxed, more assured and sure of himself. He had even greeted Touko politely before going about business. It was as if hearing himself talk more and more gave him the power and courage to move on with his ideal plans. Touko was now merely a speck.

She would not have that. She had to keep him grounded as much as possible. But it was difficult, she noted after the third night he came back. N was diving back into work, unlike what he did when he brought her back. He was in the office all day, came to the room to sleep for a few hours and bathe before leaving again.

He was purposely leaving her alone so he would not be distracted, not again.

Touko bristled silently as she watched the door close behind him and got off the bed to yank it open before he could lock it. His unguarded, startled look told her he was not expecting defiance from her, not after acting docile this whole time.

"What am I, a collectors doll?"

"What?" N hissed, dumbfounded. He took a quick peek behind him and noticed some of the Plasma members in the hall watching the display, and his actions. "Get back inside!"

He shoved them both back in the room and slammed the door shut before turning to give the brunette a glare.

"You're just going to leave me here, collecting dust? What exactly am I here for if you're not going to interact with me? You might as well just let me go!"

"No!" N shouted and ran his fingers through his hair, clutching the roots at the scalp and pulling. Just the thought of her walking out again set him on a dangerous edge. "Are you trying to drive me insane, Touko? Do you want to shove me into an asylum so badly?"

"You're the one who's gonna have to put me in a home after what I'm going through!"

"Me, me, me," he mocked her voice and scoffed. "I have work to do, a lot of it, and because I was busy giving speeches that means it has been rotting on my desk. I am merely spending extra hours so it does not become impossible to finish. You need to stop being so selfish."

Oh. Hell. No.

"Excuse me? Selfish?"

"Yes, selfish! Stop thinking about yourself all the time and demanding attention."

"You listen to me," Touko started out calmly but deep down inside she was boiling and knew that it would rise to the surface in record time. "What else do you expect me to do? You captured and brought me back to this hell on earth place and you expect me to idly wait around for the rest of my life? If you plan on keeping me here I am going to be demanding because I refuse to sit back and take it as you see fit. I am not some trophy to collect and I know you are seeing me that way."

"You're wrong—" Touko silenced him with a wave of her hand and a hard shake of her head. She did not want nor need him interrupting her. She needed to say this.

"That's a lie. You have been too relaxed, or as lax as you can go now, since you came back. You don't think I hear people chattering outside that door, intentionally? How they praise you on another job well done to improving your speeches? To praise you on telling the whole damn nation of Unova that I am once again caught and detained!"

Touko was shouting now, she knew there was angry tears streaming down her face but she felt no shame in showing them.

"Touko... "

"Stop it! You think you've been through a lot? Well I have too so stop thinking you're so damned special! I'm selfish? If I was selfish then I never would have left you, I would still be here even if it made everyone else unhappy," she huffed and gave a small shake of her head, as if everything about this situation was simply unbelievable. "But I gave that up, I gave up being content with everything and not just because I really wanted to be here but because it's just wrong. I picked to be unhappy so everyone else can be happy."

"You should have just stayed! Who cares about the others, you should be only thinking about me."

"Hah, but that's so selfish and you just told me to stop being that. You can't have it both ways N."

"Well then what about me? You could have thought about my happiness."

"But I did," Touko sniffed and turned around, unable to look at the king anymore. "For that one year I thought about you as best I could. But N, if you are to think about it, you are the one here who is truly selfish."

"That is complete nonsense. I was merely—"

"'Following your dream', hmm? And look how many people and Pokemon it hurt in the process, including myself."

"No Pokemon was hurt in this process." N hissed through clenched teeth, hands curling up into a fist at his sides. "How dare you accuse—"

"La la la," Touko sang mockingly, as if she did not wish to hear what he wanted to say. "You never thought Pokemon got attached to their trainers? Never felt the same pain as them when they were forced to be released? I never knew how blind you really were and still are. Ghetsis did a mighty fine job on you," she scoffed and turned back around to face him.

"... " N didn't know if he could trust himself to speak, in fear he might say something he did not mean. After all this time he still cared whether she would suffer or not from his words.

"You are the selfish one here, always have been. After winning the battle you imprisoned me, forced me to wear some ugly hospital gowns, forced Pokemon to be released from their owners, shoved your twisted ideals onto everyone else! I bet half the people who listen to you rant are only following out of fear."

"Enough! Touko, just—" N shook his head and turned around, storming out of the room with a loud bang from slamming the door too hard behind him. He bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood, but the pain did not make him feel any better, his stress still rising. He knew he was selfish, knew it to the very bone, but he did not want Touko of all people to point it out and lay it open for them to see. It made him feel shameful for the way he was acting, horrible even, but it was all for the sake of keeping Pokemon happy and free, and if he had to be selfish for that then so be it.

. . .

Touko was huffing and puffing long after N left the room, rather childishly she might add. She could not stop pacing and thinking about the heated exchange nor the Kings actions. The way his shoulders tensed when she accused him of being the selfish one in the party, without denying it, confirmed her suspicions.

"Well, he is still kind of a kid at heart, I guess. Can't admit to anything is probably too embarrassing for him," she murmured, sat down on the bed and began to beat the pillow, the action making her feel a bit better. But that all changed with the next train of thought.

"Why did I have to love such a damn arrogant, selfish, pompous, uppity—" She began to beat the pillow harder and even tried to tear it apart. "Why is those fabric so strong! Ugh!"

Frustrated once again, Touko strolled into the bathroom to take a shower, hoping the scalding hot water would release some of the tension knots in her back. It only worked for a short amount of time, until she left the bathroom to change into a plain t-shirt and shorts, when she began thinking about N's selfish ways.

"I swear, that guy just makes me wanna—" She stopped mid-rant upon noticing a white slim square box sitting on the corner of the bed.

Touko tip toed on over, looking up at the surveillance camera and gave a one shoulder shrug before looking at the box again. Was there sheets or a picture frame in this thing?

Inhaling deeply, Touko quickly flipped the lid and skidded back, just in case something jumped out, or worse, the package exploded. But it did neither and after a couple moments she deemed it safe enough to creep closer.

"A dress... " No, it was her dress, the one N had given her for their first date. Was he apologizing for his earlier behavior or being a major suck-up? Maybe both?

Touko allowed a small smile and picked up the sun dress, rubbing an area between her thumb and index finger, remembering how it felt against her skin. She decided to wear it tomorrow and hope that N and herself can sit down to talk things over, calmly.

The next morning she did not see N in the room but the dress was still on the bed where she left it. Maybe he was still working or came in during the night, but Touko didn't mind for once. She got up and took the dress with her to bathroom, giving a little skip in her step while grinning up at the camera like a love sick fool.

She shimmied into the dress, all too happy that it still fit her, even if it was a bit snug around her hip area. She tied her hair up into the usual ponytail and looked at herself in the mirror. It was almost as if she was still the same girl from long ago. Except she looked older, less baby fat in the face.

Touko was overflowing with joy until a sudden thought knocked her clear off the happy hill. "N and I... are pretty messed up," she concluded, her voice deadpanned.

She couldn't believe she was just noticing this now. They were both destructive for each other and everyone else. Them being together hurts everyone, while them being apart hurts themselves. They shouldn't even be in the same region as each other!

Touko stopped thinking for a moment and collected her thoughts. She could not afford to be so rash and quick to think such negative things. She decided to fetch the last coffee bag Lithe handed over to her the last time they met and just stare at it for comfort. She was actually surprised one of the goddesses didn't come up and collect it from her.

Finally having something to do, somewhat, Touko strode from the bathroom and to the bed where she reached under the pillow she slept on and took the crinkled bag out. "Sheesh you were hard to sleep on these past few days, I never knew," she complained and allowed her eyes to roam over the familiar object.

Turning towards the camera Touko waved the bag in front of her, trying to signal Anthea or Concordia that she wanted some coffee. She was going to need it if she wanted to get through the day, and possibly night, staying up for N just in case he did not show up any time soon.

The camera began to move from side to side, as it always did when they were following her movements, and Touko wondered if that mean 'no'. She shrugged her shoulders and held up her hands in a 'what' gesture. The camera then started to go all over the place, moving up, down, left, right and round and round. She was now starting to wonder if cameras can have seizures. Or simply malfunction.

The bedroom door opened and at that moment N stepped through, taking in the scene. Touko was waving around some bag while the security camera was going haywire. Was some kind of ritual going on?

Touko turned at the noise of someone stepping into the room and froze. N was standing there, foot in mid step, hand on door knob and the most confused expression on his face. She honestly had no idea what to say or how to get out of this situation.

"Um... " She started while lowering her arms and turning towards the King, a light flush on her cheeks. But she wasn't embarrassed for long and saw his eyes roam over her form, noticing the dress. His eyes lit up at the moment and he almost looked happy, pleased, which in turn made her feel giddy. Until he noticed the bag once again and frowned.

"What is that?"

"Oh, coffee beans."

"Coffee beans," he repeated, sounding skeptical. "And why exactly do you have these coffee beans?"

"I, um... have grown a taste for them. Or a smell. I like opening the bag... and... sniffing them... " Even that did not sound convincing to Touko's ears and all she wished to do was find a hole and hide in shame.

"... Right. And what was all that waving them about?"

"Ah, after sniffing them I signal one of the goddesses that I want coffee."

"Huh." He still looked unconvinced and glanced towards the corner where the camera now stood completely still. He furrowed his brow in suspicion and took a couple steps forward. "Hand it over and I'll get you the coffee myself."

"Oh, okay." Touko breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like now they were going to try and be on good terms with each other.

But the moment N took the bag from her hands the 'whirring' sound from the security camera picked up again. They both looked over and saw it going completely nuts once again.

"You might wanna get that checked out," Touko muttered.

N was not buying it, though. He looked at the seemingly innocent bag of beans in his hands and ripped it right down the middle, sending the beans to fly in multiple directions. Touko gasped at the sound and action but her face set into horror when she saw exactly what was in the bag and probably the rest of the ones sent to her.

There, on the floor surrounded by coffee beans, was a Pokeball.

N felt a chill under his skin and looked up at Touko through narrowed eyes, but her expression looked genuine, as if she never knew this was going on. But she claimed to have opened the bags and sniff them, did she not? She had to have known! She also was 'signaling' for one of his mother figures to come and get the bag. Perhaps to distribute to the people who were rising with the rebellion?

Oh yes, he knew he had a few spies within the tower but he did not know exactly who they were. He just did not expect the most important people to him to be included. The King just could not catch a break, could he?

N sent a glare up at the camera before bending down to pick up the Pokeball and leaving the room once again, slamming the door shut and locking it.

"Oh no, oh no!" Touko made a grab for the loose strands of hair that framed her face and tugged a couple times while thinking of what to do. The camera was still going nuts.

She rushed over to N's side of the bed, tugging open the drawer, surprised it was left unlock, but nothing personal was inside like last time, save for a few papers and pens. Just what she needs.

She took a single sheet out and began scribbling down a few words, and scribbled over them a couple more times until they were big and bold, easy to read. She picked up the sheet and held it up in front of the camera.

At that moment the camera stopped all movement and she hoped those two would take her written word and 'RUN LIKE HELL'.

Touko slumped to the floor and started praying that the Goddesses did not get into too much trouble, or at least escape before facing N's wrath. Hell, even she did not know there were Pokeballs within the bags of coffee. No wonder why Concordia or Anthea came to her room to collect it so soon after coming back from the roof. Were they saving up the Pokeballs for themselves or handing them off to others who oppose N.

Ah, yes, she was not surprised that some people within the Plasma force would oppose the King, they probably did not know it would all be taken so far. And they probably did not like a world without Pokemon just as much as any trainer.

In the middle of her musings Touko was knocked off her butt, from an incredibly loud bang, and face planted into the floor, the rug giving a burn on her cheek.

"Dammit! What now!" She screeched, pissed off, and crumpled up the sheet of paper, throwing it across the room before nursing her pained cheek. "First I just want a simple cup of coffee and have to do some native dance like a fool then the goddesses had to go playing around with the stupid camera but N decides to walk in and witness the whole thing and we both find out there were friggen Pokeballs in those damn coffee bags this whole time! And suddenly a wild earthquake decides to make itself known on top of all thi— Oh!"

It finally dawned on Touko that this was possibly the moment they have been waiting for. For four long years more than half of the trainers in Unova have suffered without their friends and companions by their side but today is the day they bring it all back. Today will be the day Touko becomes victorious, there was no room for failure.

But first things first...

"How the hell do I get out of here," she whined. The room was no different from the glass room she stayed in but this was worse, even if there was more to do but because it did not have any windows and N had to just go and lock the door. "Just great, my moment to shine and I'm stuck in this forsaken room!"

She pondered for a couple minutes, weighing her options. She could not summon Zekrom here, even though using him would be effective in breaking out of this room, the Pokemon is just too big and would probably crush her in the tiny space. So the best option is...

"I got it!" Touko reached under the bed and pulled out the boots Red had allowed her to borrow and slid open the little slots on the platforms, letting the Pokeballs drop into her lap. She picked up a single ball from the batch and placed it against her lips. "Go, Emboar!"

Her first and starter Pokemon appeared in a quick white flash. It looked around, confused at first from the surroundings, before spotting his trainer behind him and gave her a bone crushing hug.

"Uggggh, Emboar, I missed you too, but now is not the time. Quick, I need you to break down this door, today you will get your true freedom."

"Emboar, em!" The Pokemon grunted and turned towards the door, going into a full sprint.

Touko could not help but smile and swell with pride as her Pokemon took down the door as if it was but a piece of twig, the metal snapping in half and collapsing from the weak hinges. "Good job, my friend," she praised gently before calling Emboar back to his ball, so no one would see him, and set all of her Pokeballs back into the platforms.

Stepping through the door, she found rubble among the ground, debris continuing to fall from the ceiling. Side stepping all the bricks and concrete in her path, Touko quickly made her way over to a window and gave a quick look down. She could make out dots, which she assumed, were people, surrounding the building and many more coming in by the ocean and air.

Touko breathed in and out slowly, ready to call out Zekrom this time so she could go down and help the others but heard the sound of shoes pounding down the hallway. She turned, ready to balance herself and place a foot on her knee so she could reach the hidden Pokeballs but stopped short when she saw it was Rozi coming after her.

"So it's true," the blond panted, quite bitterly. "You are back. I thought the King was bluffing this whole time... " She stopped for a moment to catch her breath, running a gloved hand across her forehead. "I gave you a chance to hide, a chance to conceal yourself better next time yet here you are, back in this place. My efforts had gone to waste."

"Erm, sorry?"

"Whatever. Come on, let's go."

"Go? Go where?"

"To N, of course," Rozi looked at the other female as if she was mentally deficient and grabbed her arm, tugging hard. "Well, he is probably busy right now so I think the best thing to do is bring you down to the cells."

"Whoa, whoa, hold up. I thought you wanted to help! You let me escape last time 'cause you said you want me to win this."

"I also said that would be the only time I let you off. I have a duty to fulfill as the leader of my squad. Now, you'll come along with me quietly or I'll use force." To prove her point, Rozi unlatched a single Pokeball from her belt and enlarged it, her index finger rubbing the round button tauntingly.

"Well, if you want to play fair, all you had to do was ask," Touko replied haughtily and was able to jerk her arm free, ready to reach down for her shoes but saw Lithe jogging down the hall. "Uhh... "

"Banzai!" He cheered without much enthusiasm, sounding totally bored, and slammed into Rozi, sending them both to tumble and fall to the ground.

"L—Lithe! What are you doing!" Rozi demanded and tried to crawl out from under her soon to be ex-boyfriend but could not due to him suddenly going limp, his whole body weight crushing down on her.

"Touko, save your energy and head to the roof. Avoid battling wondering Plasma members if you can." Lithe grumbled and locked his arms around the withering female beneath him.

"Right, thank you!" Touko gave a mock salute to the both of them, as in 'Good luck salvaging that relationship', and made her way to the roof.

Apparently Lithe's warning was not needed. There were no Plasma members on her way to the roof, except for the occasional newbies who freaked and fretted over every rumble. Upon seeing her they scampered. It made Touko feel a tiny bit better but as she got closer and closer to the top her stomach began to twist and churn uneasily. In the stairwell she had to stop and lean over the railing, feeling like the bile would rise in her throat at any moment but she had not eaten anything this morning.

When Touko finally did reach the roof, she found it completely deserted and frowned. Was she suppose to wait here for everything to be done and over with? No, she was suppose to battle N but he was not here. She stomped over to all sides of the railing, looking down for any sign of the King and finally spotted him mow down trainer after trainer.

'Ah, so he wants to take down the army before they can get into the tower, eh? Can't have that,' she mused and made a move for her shoes until she saw Rashiram snap it's head up towards her. If she squinted hard enough she could also see N doing the same thing.

All too quickly the legendary Pokemon flew upwards at amazing speed. Touko was forced to stumble back by the powerful winds the followed it. Rashiram settled down on the large roof, lowering his head so that his trainer could hop off.

"Touko, how did you get out?" N questioned, his shoulders shaking, seething with anger and fear.

She did not answer him but only stared, sadness and pity swirling in the depth of her eyes. The King took notice of this and glared.

"Are you turning on me, too? Were you working with someone inside the tower?"

"N, I was never on your side." He froze at that, eyes widening in disbelief. "You only had the idea that I wanted to be here because I appeared happy or never fought back." She refused to answer the second question, she would not throw Lithe under the bus like that, not after all the risks he went through to help her.

"Heh, what can you do?" N shrugged his shoulders and lifted his hands to gesture animatedly around them. "You are without Pokemon, unless you really have been collecting Pokeballs in those coffee bags?"

"I did not know of those, forgive me. If I did I would have done a better job of hiding them instead of stuffing them under my pillow." N bristled at that but Touko paid no mind, slipping off the platforms and stared at them for awhile. "This is it."

"What?" N questioned, brows furrowed in confusion.

Touko made it quick, sliding the slot open and dumped the Pokeballs in her hands. She scanned the balls quickly before deciding on the one she wanted to use. Plucking it up and enlarging it, Touko cried out "Cincinno!" and felt a small chunk of weight slide off her shoulders. He now knew her plan, shock clearly present on his face.

Out of instinct, N threw a Pokeball of his own, yelling "Darmanitan!", without much feeling. He could not believe she had them... Could not believe she hid them, in such a place especially... How... Why... It hurt to know she still kept secrets from him. He heard her say something but could not focus. All his attention was on the glowing Pokemon in front of her. The last time he saw Cincinno, the Pokemon was happy, all smiles and a Minccino, but now it looked serious, neither smiling, no tail wagging.

'You,' Cincinno cooed, staring N straight in the eyes. The little Pokemon's tail twitched with curiosity and awareness, fur standing on end with sensitively of the situation.

N said nothing, he was completely shell shocked. He had forgotten all about the Pokemon he allowed Touko to catch on their date. It was fully evolved now and no longer looked like the care-free Pokemon he thought it would turn out to be. Of course he should have known that Touko would train her Pokemon. The thought made him bitter.

'You look... much different from when I last saw you,' Cincinno deducted after running its large round eyes up and down the King's being.

"You mean like crap?" He spat out bitterly.

"Eh?" Touko frowned and began to wonder what he was doing just staring and not attacking but remembered that he could communicate with Pokemon. She felt a little jealous that she could not.

'She talked about you, did you know?'

"No."

'For months on end, it was all about you. She confessed that I am her only connection to you, besides that shirt."

"What?" N frowned, trying to ignore the light flutter in his stomach. She talked about him. For months on end! It should not be making him this happy.

'A shirt she got from you. She wore it every night. She actually cried after washing it because she claimed that it no longer smelled like you. Humans are weird creatures.' Cincinno practically purred with fondness while speaking of his trainer but sounded slightly disgusted with her actions.

"That has to be a lie," N sighed and shook his head in disbelief. No way the woman across the roof top would blubber over him, spilling out such secrets to a Pokemon she believed was her connection to him. It just was not possible.

'She loves you.'

"Shut up."

'Every night, after her little rants, she would say she loves you but wishes she didn't. Loving you hurts, she says.'

N squeezed his eyes shut to prevent himself from crying. The emotion was so heavy, too heavy for him to control or even carry. Even if it was not Touko herself who confessed, it still made it hard for him to breathe. A feeling stuck between ice and fire, he did not know whether to run or embrace it.

'I have been waiting for this moment, to teach you a lesson for hurting my trainer,' Cincinno's voice took on a darker tone, the ball of light in front of him growing bigger and brighter. 'I will pulverize you.'

"What is—" N tried to question, finally taking notice of the glowing orb, his mind still processing what was going on.

"Now, Cincinno! Solar Beam!" Touko cried out and pointed towards Darmanitan.

The little mouse Pokemon aimed towards his opponent and released the magic filled attack. N had little time to respond.

"Ah! Darmanitan! Dodg—" The Pokemon was hit.

The large creature was blasted backwards until it slammed into a railing, creating a dent. It groaned in pain but staggered forward, still prepared to go on.

"Dammit! That's a cheap trick!"

"What?" Touko frowned, feeling pretty irked at the accusation. "Please tell me which part is a 'trick', because you had so much time to attack Cincinno while he charged up for a Solar Beam but you decide to have a chit-chat instead. I felt almost forced to offer tea and bread."

N snorted but did not respond. He did not want to admit that she had caught him off guard, fair and square. She was right, he did have plenty of time to attack, but his excuse was that this whole situation was just too bizarre. He did not expect her to have Pokemon and he did not expect another big battle.

"Well, then, I hope you brought enough Potions and Revives this time around."

"Not this time, N," she shook her head and gave a small genuine smile. "Now I'll trust my Pokemon and in their abilities. That was my problem from the very start. My Pokemon have always believed in me but I have never believed in them, did not believe that we would get through the battle, even if I loved them. Because of my disbelief I have caused every trainer grief for my mistake. And what a rookie mistake it was." She grinned now, as if embarrassed by the whole thing. "I have learned to put faith in my friends and now I stand before you, without Potions and Revives. I will not lose."

"Darmanitan, HeadButt!"

"Cincinno, take him head on!"

Both Pokemon clashed, the smaller one taking more damage from the collision but he was now where Touko wanted him, up close so the other could not move away quick enough with his weight and size.

"Use Return!" Touko called out with confidence and stood tall, knowing this was it.

Cincinno used the move upon command, the blow so powerful that Damanitan was knocked out before it skidded backwards and laid there, gimped.

N stared wide eyed, surprised by how powerful Return was. 'So, his happiness is so great that it rendered my Pokemon unconscious?'

"N, think after our battle. I'll hate to have to have a third rematch just because you're too busy with your thoughts," Touko smiled ruefully, not minding he was distracted but knew it was not fair.

"You're right," he huffed softly and called back Darmanitan back to his Pokeball. "It makes no sense to me. I wish that we weren't so stubborn. You left me waiting for an answer I never thought I would receive and I left you to fight the world alone. My apologies. But you will not win." He reached down to his belt, picking out his next Pokemon. "Go!"

. . .

A/N: Oh lar lar! Sorry for the long wait. 8D Huge thanks to my Beta's BlackRose and SaitoKeita!


	29. Chapter 29

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Chapter Twenty Nine.

. . .

"Oh my gosh, it's like we're in some beehive! There are never ending grunts appearing from all corners of this building!" Belle whined after taking out another Plasma member, sending them to cower in fear. And just to prove her point, a couple more appeared from the right side of the room. "Uuuugh!"

"The less you talk, the more you take down," Cheren reasoned with a grumble, heading towards the group that appeared. He was also annoyed with the amount but saw no point in complaining.

"We should all just calm down, we are doing fine," Red murmured, his Snorlax rolling around in front of him to create a path while his Espeon created harmless vibrating psychic waves to drive away anyone who came near. Pikachu stayed perched on his shoulder, long ears twitching at every sound, eyes alert. They were his enforcers, guardians and executioners.

"Dude, what do you feed that thing," Cheren questioned wearily, making sure to stay out of the trainer's range.

"Almost anything. This guy is a vacuum cleaner." Red smiled fondly at the large Pokemon, knowing not to judge a book by its cover. Snorlax may be huge and may not be able to move around as swiftly as others, but this Pokemon had enormous strength behind all those rolls.

"Whatever you say," Cheren looked away and began to get more serious as he went up against more resistant opponents.

"How do you think Touko is doing?" Belle questioned aloud and frowned when one of her Pokemon fainted.

"Believe in her, Belle, she's not as vulnerable as you think," Red assured her, watching until she nodded in agreement.

"Yeah Belle, sheesh, have some faith," Cheren snorted and dodged the rock thrown his way.

But Belle was right about one thing, there was a never ending amount of grunts, no matter how many they took on and defeated. Defeat one, three more takes their place. Even with Red's Snorlax knocking people down like bowling pins was not enough to clear the way.

"Dammit, this isn't working!" Cheren cursed and turned towards Red once again. "What do we do now? We can't keep this up for long, even with the forces we have."

"You are correct," the older male agreed and tapped his chin with a single slender finger in thought. He hummed momentarily before snapping his fingers. "It would have been easier if I had blue prints of this place before hand but that can't be helped. We will have to clear the entrance of the elevator and rush the gym leaders in before anyone can stop us."

"Got it. Belle!"

"Right behind you!"

The duo made their way to the elevator, taking down the grunts in their path. Once they made it across the room, they held the doors open, preventing the machine from closing and going up to get more reinforcements. Belle was starting to breathe hard and panic. She was now down to two Pokemon. Cheren noticed this and frowned.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine."

"But... "

"If they all faint just stick with Red or myself, we won't let anything happen to you."

"Heh, thanks," Belle smiled, relief washing over her.

"By the way, how is Touya and the others doing?"

"Let me call him, hang on a moment," Belle kept her eyes on the massacre in front while she fished for her cell phone in the messenger bag she brought. She pressed the speed dial button for Touya and waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Touya," Belle greeted and smiled. "We just want to know how your end is doing."

"It's going good so far. We were able to fly up and crash into one of the higher floors without anyone noticing. Talk about luck, with all these goons running around."

"No kidding? Well we are holding up well down here... or as well as we can go. They are like a bunch of ants, coming from anywhere and everywhere! It's like—"

"Okay, Belle, hang up that phone, this isn't a social call," Cheren was giving her this look of disbelief, wondering how she could completely forget the situation she is in.

"Ah, s—sorry! I have to hang up now, Touya. Just wanted to know if you got to your post."

"Don't be sorry, and don't let Cheren tease you too much, that's my job." Belle snickered. "Love you."

"Love you too," Belle sighed and pressed the 'End" button. "Alright! I'm ready to roll!"

"Ah, rejuvenated now are we?" Cheren smirked and called out another Pokemon to help clear the way.

Red shook his head as the two friends began to bicker endlessly while still being able to keep their attention on the battles in front of them. They had reminded him too much of his childhood friend and himself, it almost made his skin crawl. They were both friends and enemies. They could be having a civil conversation one minute and arguing the next.

"Maybe it won't hurt to give him a call," Red mused, completely relaxed in the chaotic environment. Plus Belle was able to call someone, so it should be fine if he could too.

He sat there for a couple seconds, staring at his phone before the number finally came to mind and he quickly dialed before he could forget and placed the device next to his ear. It rang a total of four times before the guy decided to finally pick up.

"I was wondering when you were going to call. We were suppose to have our battle two years ago, but guess who wasn't at his damn mountain!"

"Green, we both know the outcome of that battle so you should take it easy."

"Why you little— What is with all that noise? Is someone yelling? Are you in some war zone?"

"Sort of, yeah."

"... And you pick this time to call me?"

"Well since others are doing it—"

"Hah, still trying to fit in? You're like the awkward loner kid in school."

"... " Red only blinked, face expressionless.

"I know how your face would look like at this moment... and it would do nothing but piss me off."

"Maybe you're right," Red agreed, not really caring if he was awkward or alone. He had his mom, his Pokemon and this bastard to keep him company.

"Pika!" Pikachu spotted someone who stumbled past Espeon's psychic waves, getting too close to his trainer for comfort. The little rodent began sending little electric shocks around the grunts feet, causing the male to screech and dance away.

"What was that?"

"Ah, a enemy got way to close for comfort and almost spilled my coffee." He bent down and picked up his mug, a small frown tugging on his lips.

"You? Coffee? You hate the stuff!"

"... "

"But your mom loves it."

"She does."

"Jeez Red," the other male made a loud, fake sigh but behind it all was hiding deep concern. "Do you need help? Should I come there, wherever you are?"

"Hah, who needs help from second best?"

"You haughty bast—"

"I should go. Belle was not able to talk on the phone for long so neither should I." Red hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

He took a long sip and smiled ruefully through the bitterness. Perhaps he should try being more social, except he could never find anyone else who likes the solitude you find in mountains as much as he did. Except for Green. That guy came to visit every once in awhile.

. . .

"Touya, this was such an amazing plan in the beginning, but now it's a complete waste of time."

"Daizy, it was the only plan we all could come up with so stop complaining and keep looking."

Daizy continued to grumble, quite dramatically, while opening one door after another. The so called amazing plan was that a group of them break into the building on one of the upper floors, just in case the group at the bottom could not get up, and hunt down all seven Sages.

"According to what Lithe said, all the Sages would be here today for some meeting, but he did not know exactly which room they would be in because apparently this place is filled with a million meeting rooms."

"Hella lot of bedrooms on this floor," someone else from the group complained.

"We will have to split up then," Touya advised. "I want half of you to check the floors below, split up into teams of two from there. The rest will come with Daizy and I to the top floors."

"Roger that!" A few saluted before heading off to and down the stairwell.

"Okay, let's head up. Two of you will take the next floor, two will take the floor after that, and so on. Any questions?" Few shook their heads and he nodded. "Alright, let's move on. Daizy and I will go last."

"If you wanted me all alone, Touya, you should've just asked," Daizy deepened her tone until it was husky and sultry, but most of all, mockingly.

"Don't flatter yourself," Touya shook his head at the young girls antics, crossing his arms when she laughed joyously. "How can you be in such high spirits in this situation?"

"You aren't excited?"

"It is a nerve wracking situation to be in," Touya pointed out blandly, gesturing the young woman to go ahead of him after the last person went into the stairwell.

"Let's just say I am here for a separate mission." Daizy went up the stairs, taking two at a time to keep up with the others.

"Are you a spy?" Touya knew she was not because everyone was heavily monitored at the base but still, one could never be too cautious.

"Nah, I would never be able to pull it off. I just know that I have to see someone, or two someones. Then it's possible that I'll leave this place after that."

"Wait, leave? As in you're not going to fight?"

"Of course not. You guys got this in the bag. The Plasma may be big in numbers, but they are still pretty weak. You have to make sure they don't gang up on you or you will be in trouble. I would like to avoid fighting at all costs, my parents did enough of that."

Touya frowned but said nothing, he knew it would be wrong to force her to stay behind, heck, a few of the people in their group had backed out before reaching the tower. On the way up they had encountered many grunts, more than it seemed possible, but Daizy had reasoned that it was probably because the elevator was being held by someone to prevent the grunts from using it.

When they had finally reached their floor, it was not all that empty. It was not all that surprising. Plasma verses Plasma, Red had spoken of some people in the vile group not agreeing to everything that had been done by the King, and were now fighting back for the right of trainers. It was truly an amazing thing to see and it was great progress.

"Well this floor is taken care of, let's go to the next," Daizy demanded cheerfully and spun on her heel to go back into the stairwell.

"Wait, I think I see those goddesses," Touya squinted while looking down the hall and saw two middle aged women at the end, fighting against a group of Plasma members. "It doesn't look good, they're out numbered." He took off in a sprint, dodging and ducking around the battles.

"I am going on ahead then! If you don't see me after this then don't bother looking. I'll be long gone. It was great knowing everyone, especially Touko. Say goodbye to her for me." Daizy headed back into the stairwell and went on her true mission.

Touya never bothered going after her, knowing that once she put her mind to something, there was no stopping her. He skidded to a stop beside the goddess with soft pastel pink hair. "I hope I'm not too late."

"You're just on time," Anthea smiled, feeling a bit more at ease now. She wiped her brow with a sleeved wrist and turned back to her battles.

"We have been collecting the Pokeballs Mr. Red had sent us but truth be told, we never really battled before." Concordia murmured, looking at their opponents warily.

"You traitors!"

"How could you do this to our King!"

"He will annihilate you once he finds out this treason!"

"W—we don't mean any harm!" Anthea tried to reason, a hand resting on her chest. "We are doing this for our King's best interest!"

"Lies!"

"Don't bother," Touya shook his head, feeling sorry for the Goddesses who were now sporting matching frowns. "These kind of guys have thick skulls. Nothing you say will get through to them. Let's just defeat them and carry on."

"Right," the two women replied in unison, squaring their shoulders and steeling their resolve.

. . .

Daizy stopped at a floor that was close to the top and collapsed once out in the hallway. She regretted running up those stairs and never taking up Touko's multiple offers to jog with her during training sessions. She was laying there, vulnerable, and gasping for air like a fish out of water, it was pathetic. Shouting from down the corridor made her forget about the scolding she was going to supply herself and began crawling down the hallway, her legs still feeling like jelly.

"Don't try and stop me! I have to go after Touko!"

"Calm down, she's got this, she will win."

"How can you even—just get out of my way, I have a job to do!"

"Job this, job that, all you care about is your job. Let's go on a proper date, right now."

"Lithe, how can you even act like this with what's going on right now? You're part of the King's squad too so I suggest you do what you're suppose to do!"

"And what if I quit?"

"Quit?" Rozi blinked owlishly, as if that word did not exist in her vocabulary.

"That's right. Drop my badge right off the building and leave."

"C'mon Lithe, you can't be serious."

"You don't have to fear Ghetsis anymore, Rozi. Let's just leave this place, right now."

"No! This organization is too powerful and you are speaking of turning your back against N! He trusts us, don't you dare be a coward now."

"Yo." Daizy had laid her cheek on the floor as she watched the two bicker and though it was interesting, they did not have time to stand around and squabble.

"D—Daizy?" Rozi whipped around and saw her little sister laying there on the floor. "What happened!" She rushed over to her side, dropping on her knees and looking her up and down for any injuries.

"I'm fine," the younger sibling sat up and waved off the older woman's worry. "I just ran up a mountain, I'm tired."

Rozi stilled her mother hen actions and stared at her sister in disbelief. After a cocky smirk was sent her way, she raised her hand and slapped Daizy across the face.

"Rozi!" Lithe shouted, appalled at her actions.

The force of the slap was so hard that Daizy's head snapped to the side, but she did not cry, nor did she scream. Instead she gave Lithe a reassuring smile and accepted Rozi's embrace. The older sister sat there on her knees, sobbing into the crook of her younger sister's shoulder.

"Hush, you crybaby. Everything is fine," Daizy cooed, hoping to calm the sibling down but it had the reverse effect.

"How c—can I be calm! Y—you went missing for y—years and suddenly show u—up out of the damn stairwell!" Rozi blubbered and held on tighter, nearly choking the other with her vice grip. "I was so w—worried!"

"I'm sorry, really I am," Daizy began to pat Rozi's head in a comforting gesture, grateful that her sister was beginning to calm down. "But dad joined this corrupt corporation and brainwashed you too, saying you'll marry the future king of Unova, yadda yadda. I don't want to be apart of this world, it's not healthy and full of wrong."

Rozi sniffled. She knew she was heavily brainwashed by their father after her promotion. He fed her ideas of living in luxury without Pokemon. She never did have much of a connection with her own and only thought about having a life with the King. She would have never went through all of it if she knew it meant the risk of losing her sister. " I never knew you felt that way."

"Father made it clear that I would be disowned if I ever spoke to you about how messed up his beliefs are. He knows how close we were."

"We still are, are we not?"

"Of course. You're the only one I won't abandon. Mother left father for this very reason, his greed for power. And that will be his downfall."

Rozi said nothing for long moments and finally stood up, helping Daizy to stand as well. She looked over at Lithe who was giving her a small smile and she could not help but return it.

"Looks like you win. I wish you had told me about this sooner, I would have went along more quietly." Rozi huffed and gave Lithe a halfhearted glare.

"I didn't even know she was with the rebels, Red never said anything."

"No one knew! I like to surprise people."

"Still a troublemaker I see," Rozi mumbled fondly and let out a long sigh. "Alright, so if we're going to escape we have to hunt down Maru and Saiga."

"Last I remember, you gave them orders to head down to the lobby and cause havoc," Lithe reminded her with a coy smile.

"Oh yeah," Rozi scowled and pulled out her pager. She pressed a small red button and placed it back in her pants pocket. "Now they will come back to see what's up. They'll be fast no doubt, probably think there's trouble."

"There is trouble," a voice whispered.

"Who's there?" Daizy looked up and down the hall but saw no one.

"Daizy, get behind us," Rozi demanded and made a move to block her sister but the younger sibling stepped out.

"So much for avoiding fighting," Daizy scowled. "I haven't been slacking these past few years, you know. I can take on whoever will come at us."

The trio waited in silence and for a minute they thought someone was jerking them around until one, two, three people in black cloaks slinked out from the shadows, only their eyes were revealed. They stood side by side, still as a mannequin, the air chilling immediately.

"The Shadow Trio," Lithe greeted with distaste, lips spreading into a sneer. "How nice of you to join us, but we were just leaving."

"Leaving? No one is leaving," the first one, on the left, spoke quietly and took a small but threatening step forward.

"Correct, instead you will be staying. In the cells, we prefer," The second one, on the right, had a slight trill in his voice, giving the trio a more horrifying effect.

"Did you think we would not watch over you after the incident with Hoshi?" The third one questioned, his voice deep and calm. "We had to make sure you did not make the same mistake as he. But while tagging along you we found our spy. Two Pidoves with one stone." You could practically hear the smile in his voice.

"Lithe? You were the spy?!" Rozi all but shrieked at her boyfriend, disbelief coloring her tone.

"Hmm," Lithe hummed annoyingly. "Now is not the time to discuss such matters."

"He's right!" The second exclaimed, pulling a pokeball from inside his cloak and stepping back.

"We must destroy those who stands in Sage Ghetsis' path to power. We will not go easy on you just because you are former Plasma members," the first one threatened, taking out his own pokeball. "Though, I suppose we shall show you our thanks for serving our King all these years. We will try to make your defeat less painful."

. . .

Emboar tumbled backwards from the finishing blow Zoroak sealed him with, grunting in pain and discomfort. He tried to stand once again but his energy was finally depleted. The large Pokemon collapsed, signaling he had fainted and was now unable to battle.

"Hmph, your Pokemon lasted a long time. I'm impressed." N crossed his arms in confidence, watching Touko's reactions but frowned when he saw her smile genuinely.

"Yeah, he did and I am proud of him. You did good, Emboar. Now rest up, you deserve to." She called the Pokemon back to his ball and sighed. It was now time to use her final Pokemon.

N did not feel comfortable with how relaxed she looked. The last time she revived her Emboar at least three times before giving up and moving onto the next Pokemon. But here she was accepting the defeat no problem. How could she still be calm after all this? She only had one Pokemon left while he had two.

"Go, Zekrom!" Touko threw her Masterball to the ground, closing her eyes, just before the huge white flash appeared, and opened them again in time to catch the ball and look at the large legendary Pokemon.

"Zeeeeraaah!" The Pokemon cried out and spread it's wings, trying to intimidate the small Pokemon below him.

"Tch," N cursed silently and knew that his Zoroak did not have a chance against his opponent but he refused to point that out to Touko by calling his Pokemon back to his ball. It would be cowardly and an embarrassment. It would give her too much hope and courage and he needed to do everything he can to crush all that.

Touko analyzed Zoroak and knew the Pokemon would not survive even the weakest blow from her Zekrom. Emboar did extremely well to wear down his opponent, she would have to reward him with bacon strips after all this was done and over with. The thought made her snicker.

"What is so funny?" N frowned much more deeply, wondering exactly is going on in Touko's head. Had she finally snapped?

"Oh, I was just thinking of giving Emboar some bacon when I get home."

"Bacon... are you mocking me right now?!" N shouted and began to breathe heavily through his nostrils. How dare she take it easy, how dare she insult him by thinking of anything else besides their battle. Was she so confident that she already had plans after she won their battle?

No. NO. He will win this battle, it's much too soon to give up now. Her unbreakable facade was getting to him in the worse ways possible. Breathe in. Breathe out. He needed to focus everything on this battle, he could not allow the enemy to distract him, no matter how cute she acts. But wearing the dress from their first date didn't help things. It gave him hope that she would stay with him no matter what happens.

"If you shake your head any harder then it might just snap off your shoulders," Touko frowned and gave the King a puzzled look. "I may have played dirty in the beginning, taking advantage of your disinterest in the battle, and I'll do it again but it won't feel fair or legit if you're not totally in the battle. Take me seriously."

N stopped all movement, totally unaware that he was even shaking his head in the first place. He was in complete denial and here Touko was, acting haughty, acting like she was the better one, breaking through his thoughts and giving him a chance to attack or do something.

"Are you messing with me?"

"You were the one acting like a bobble head for nearly two minutes."

"We both know the outcome for this round, why not just get it over and done with."

Touko felt her shoulders sagged a little. Was he already giving up on Zoroak? Did he not know that he had a high chance of inflicting damage to Zekrom before fainting. He was making the same mistakes she did in the beginning.

"Very well. Zekrom, finish him."

Zekrom dashed forward and backhanded the smaller Pokemon, sending Zoroak to faint in the process of skidding across the building.

N called the Pokemon back to it's ball, placing it on his belt before taking his last and final pokeball out. His eyes were shadowed by his hat but even if Touko tried to glimpse she would only see them clenched.

He was biting the inside of his cheek so hard, clearing any negative thoughts and thinking of the now, the future. That's what was important and this moment deserved his full attention.

"Go, Reshiram!" He threw the pokeball a bit too hard, causing it to bounce twice before revealing the other legendary dragon Pokemon, Zekrom's other half.

"Raaaaah!" The Pokemon bellowed, spreading it's wings out and stretching it's long neck upwards to give the appearance of largeness but Zekrom was not intimidated, instead, it copied the others actions to show he was not backing down.

"Zekrom, use Thunder!"

The large dragon obeyed instantly, the charge of it's attack attracting grey clouds, and aimed at it's opponent. Sadly, the attack missed. Touko felt herself quiver a little, knowing that there was a chance of it missing but kept her cool. There will be other chances.

"Reshiram, go in and use Fire Fang!"

The white dragon zeroed in on it's other half, molten hot flames coating long sharp fangs, and aimed for the chest, landing and slicing across. Zekrom roared and flinched, missing it's chance to attack back, which N gladly took advantage of.

"Great, now use Overheat!" Reshiram quickly charged the power and exploded the area surrounding Zekrom with intensive heat.

Touko breathed in and out slowly and tried her best to ignore how sweaty she became after that move. That was an extremely powerful blow on his part but she knew they could pull through this. "Dragon Claw!"

Reshiram saw Zekrom close in and tried to back out before the move reached it, but it was too slow, and was hit across the stomach and part of it's wing. It cried out in shock and pain.

"You're doing good, Reshiram, don't worry. Use Flamethrower!"

Reshiram cried out again, this time in anger, and opened it's mouth wide, aiming hot flames towards it's enemy. Zekrom was able to dodge easily, due to the other Pokemon having a hard time moving around with a slightly damaged wing.

"Zekrom, try using Thunder again!"

Zekrom did just that, focusing intently on Reshiram. This time the attack landed perfectly. The white dragon roared in anger, along with his trainer.

"Use Flamethrower again!" Reshiram, in it's anger, was quick to act this time and landed a hit on Zekrom.

"Ugh, Thunder, again!" Zekrom's attack was only half successful. It would have landed but Reshiram was prepared this time and dodged effectively.

Touko felt her shoulders shake from the intensity of the battle and silently cursed her nerves. Both of their Pokemon had taken a beating, and were panting, she knew they wouldn't last much longer. But that did not falter her determination or courage. The winner was still undecided at this point but all it'd take is a move or two to really determine the outcome of the battle. She won't lose hope.

"Hah, you know Thunder has a chance of missing, so I do not know why you consistently use it. Of course that last time was hopeless since Reshiram acted faster then you anticipated. Honestly, Touko, you should how this will turn out by now."

"Hmpf, don't get ahead of yourself, King," she mocked, upset that he had the gall to predicted the end of their battled.

"Some people never learn, I suppose," he sighed loudly, almost sounding bored, as he referred to their first battle. "You know, I can give you some Revives, if you ask politely."

Touko knew he was baiting her while gloating at the same time. She didn't take the bite and continued their battle.

"Zekrom!"

N frowned momentarily, distracted, as he was hoping she would take up his offer because it would be all he needed to have power over her but saw her shoulders shaking and mistook it for fear. 'It is certainly better then what I expected,' he thought smugly before giving the battle his attention again. He barely heard Touko call out "Fusion Bolt" and grinned, full of confidence and ready to counter it.

"Let's finish this, shall we? Fusion Flare!"

Reshiram had powered up it's attack first and aimed the powerful attack directly at it's other half, followed by a loud victory screech when it landed. There was a puff of smoke followed by the attack, confusing N and his Pokemon, before the beam of Fusion Bolt shot through and landed square onto the white dragons chest.

"Good job, Zekrom, now follow that with Dragon Claw!" Touko ordered, her face showing the barest hint of glee from the fact that her plan followed through perfectly.

"Wha— But—," N was dumbfounded by what was going on, and so was his Pokemon. He could have sworn his attack had landed, and it is so strong that it should have made Zekrom fainted but the Pokemon was still standing tall and strong.

"While you were lost in your own little world, I guess you did not hear my command."

"Command? I heard you, it was Fusion Bolt."

"No, before that."

"Before?"

"Mhmm. Substitute."

"What?!" N grounded his molars together and frantically searched for Zekrom.

Reshiram, wounded and confused, stood in a daze and did not, could not, dodge the Dragon Claw aimed towards it's chest. The powerful attacked doubled in power due to Reshiram being weak to the element, and the Pokemon fainted on impact, signaling the end of the final battle.

"I win." Touko mumbled, calling back Zekrom to his ball, but she did not feel happy.

N called back Reshiram into his pokeball as well without a word and stood there, not knowing what to do. What could he do? He was confident in the beginning! He believed that everything would be the same. She was suppose to cower in fear and revive her Pokemon multiple times! She was not suppose to be like... like this!

"N? Please, say something," Touko whispered and saw the surprise look on his face when he realized that she was now standing in front of him.

"Something?" He questioned, his voice taking on a note of hysteria. What did she expect him to say in a moment like this? Congratulations? Great job?

"Yeah, it's getting pretty awkward just standing here," she frowned, watching a repeating twitch at the corner of N's eye. "What do we do now?"

"We? Now?"

"Yeah, just because I won doesn't mean I'm going to suddenly ditch you."

"You want to be with me? After all I've done for you, separated you from your family and friends, lied about your Pokemon, imprisoned you for a year... after all that?"

"Uh huh," Touko gave a small, sad smile when N gave her a look of disbelief. "You can and will be amazed at how love truly works. What I have been through was indeed painful, so much that not a day goes by where I can not remember what it felt like being trapped but through it all I gained a new feeling I thought impossible."

"You have got to be kidding me," N scoffed and stepped away, he could not breathe with her standing so close. "You are just delusional. You only think you love me because I've been a little nice to you."

"You have been more than nice," she smiled, undeterred by his defense mechanism. "Hey N, lately, I've been thinking so strangely about the clouds and how they slowly seem to fade away. Maybe someday, we will find a way to disappear—just you and me. How could I survive without your love and the hope you bring me? Even when the sky is falling down, I know I have you, and that's all I need."

N stared wide eyed at the new champion in front of him, smiling freely, pouring out her feelings so easily. Every word she spoke screamed out 'genuine' while all he wanted to do was paint it in bold red letters spelling 'LIES'. But she continued to stand there, after defeating him, waiting to go somewhere with him. She should be with her friends, celebrating this moment. He sniffed. And then he cried.

Touko quickly embraced him and closed her eyes, allowing N some dignity. She did not whisper soothing words in his ears, only embraced him tighter and accepted his bruising hug. She knew things would not be easy in the beginning. Baby steps are a must. Maybe she will take him to a secluded area where they can live until they get better with each other. Or maybe—

Loud, enthusiastic clapping ruined the moment and the two broke apart.

"That was really sweet, honestly Touko, you have such a way with words," Ghetsis sneered and stepped from the stairwell.

"I won, Sage Ghetsis. Unova will go back to the way it was."

"Whatever you say, your highness," the elder mocked and snickered.

"... " Touko watched the man with suspicion. He was too calm right now, she had expected him to be screaming and shouting at his own son's loss!

"But, ah, you will have to go through me first."

"W—what? I just defeated the king of Unova! I have won fair and square!'

"Hah, stupid girl! Do you honestly believe that pathetic boy ran the whole show?"

"What are you talking about?" Touko felt a chill run down her spine when Ghetsis offered her a smile that was way too gleeful and much too sinister.

"He was only, what is the word... a spokesperson? Yes, something like that. He spoke out in public, speeches already made for him, he did the proper paper work, yadda yadda. But the brains behind the whole operation is me."

"You?!"

"Yes. Look at me. Do you honestly think people would see sense if I was the one doing the speeches? N was all for it, volunteering. His innocence helped his determination, thus fueling people to believe he is a good person so they should trust what he says. I, myself, am more harsh and demanding. That is why, when you were at one of my first speeches, people were confused. I was putting too much on their fragile shoulders to handle. But do you want to know the real truth behind it all?"

"The real truth." Touko demanded with a deep frown.

"The truth is... Pokemon Liberation is a lie."

N gasped and clutched onto his kings robe, hands trembling. "T—that's a lie, father! That's not true!"

"Haaa, you were always so oblivious to everything, always so stupid and happy-go-lucky with the plans. I am not even surprised you never suspected anything, but I am disappointed for having a son like you."

N stumbled backwards until he bumped into the railing, the only thing holding him back from falling to his death. Would it even matter if he died? Nothing in his life was going according to plan and his goal now seemed like... such a waste. Everything he worked for, everything he dreamed of happening turned out to be a load of crap, thrown back into his face by his own father.

"N, don't lose yourself," Touko ordered and turned back towards the chuckling, vile man across the roof. "You are complete and utter scum. I'm going to defeat your sorry ass and have you jailed for all the crimes you have committed!"

"That is if you can beat me," Ghetsis grinned darkly and opened the stairwell door. "Please, meet a friend of mine. You may have heard of him in the beginning of your visit here."

A tall being stepped through the door and stood, almost proudly, by Ghetsis. Touko felt her mouth pop open at it's features. "Is... is that a Pokemon? I've never seen one like that in Unova!"

"I know," Ghetsis answered rather smugly but it did not reach his eyes when his son did not give any reaction. Oh well, guess his audience will be limited to one since he finally broke the boy. "Mayor Biggie was a fool for even capturing this beast, but I am grateful to that fool nonetheless."

Touko glanced at N but saw he was staring blankly at the ground, uncaring that the rain was soaking his cloak, thus soaking his clothes as well. Even she began to shiver.

"Rare Pokemon or not, Zekrom will take care of this." Touko promised and reached for her pokeball.

"Not so fast," Ghetsis thundered and pressed a large round button hidden within his cape.

Touko saw the Pokemon give a violent jerk forward before bringing its hands to hover on either side of it's head, three bulb like finger tips on either side creating two triangles. The eyes went from normal to electric blue seconds after and she felt, more than saw, a small current pan out all around them before the Pokemon went back to normal.

"What did you do?" She whispered suspiciously, looking all around to see if anything had changed.

"Why don't you try and fight me and see?" Goaded the elder sage, pleased to see the stupid trainer rile up so easily.

"Fine, I warned you. Go, Zekrom!" Touko tossed the ball and waited for any signs of the white flash but none came. Confused, she went and picked up her pokeball before calling out again, "Zekrom!" Still, nothing.

Ghetsis could no longer hold it in. He laughed and laughed and laughed until his sides were sore and he was having trouble breathing. "It works perfectly!"

"What did you do?" Touko asked once again, in a tight controlled voice. She was beginning to feel true fear overcome her.

"Well, you see, I was working on this nifty invention for the longest time, even while you were stationed here! It's a small black box and it does the greatest wonder! When placed in a certain area, a trainer cannot use their pokeball!" Ghetsis was really having too much fun with this.

Touko twisted and turned her head looking for said box but found nothing in view on the roof.

"Tsk, I said a certain area! Obviously I'm not stupid enough to have it out in the open where anyone can find it, you daft girl. It's hidden in the building, but that is where good 'ol Mewtwo comes in. You seen this black collar around his neck? I have that linked to the box so when I press a secret button to activate it, this guy here gets a painful shock and he uses his psychic powers to expand the boxes usefulness. So now everyone in Unova can't use their Pokemon."

Touko felt her mouth drop open. She didn't know what to say, do, or remember how to work her limbs. The sage had truly gone into the deep end and there was no way to help him. "Why?" She finally asked and out of all the questions she wanted answered, this one was the most important.

"Why? Because I want all the rare Pokemon to myself so I can be the true ruler of Unova! I have programmed and tweaked with my own pokeballs so my Pokemon can be called upon." Ghetsis inhaled deeply through his nose just so he could continue on smiling, truly happy with his work. "At first I thought you would get in the way of everything, distracting that insolent child of mine away from his duties but everything worked out in my favor. He sulked over your departure and never paid close attention but to his own work. Never bugged me, unless needed to, not even asked for a single thing! I almost feel like I should thank you."

Touko stepped back until she too hit the railing and collapsed on the ground beside N. They were completely powerless and totally naive. The whole time they believed that the other was the true enemy, completely focused on each other's presence when this entire time, the great Sage had been the master behind the puppet show.

"Yes," Ghetsis agreed, as if reading her thoughts. "You two were just pawns in this silly little game for grown ups. I would have loved to see it progress more, but I don't want either of you to get any ideas into your head, thinking you've won and such. Might as well stomp out that flame before it grows, right?"

"What are you planning to do now?"

"I can't decide if I should shove you two off the tower, looking for it to be a mistake, or just you and have N claim me leader of Unova because the work is just too much for him. Or I can just have you locked up, brainwashing you every waking hour until you begin to behave like a regular citizen."

"You are a disgusting man—no, you don't even deserve to be called human. Monster!"

"Tch, watch your tongue when speaking to your elders." The man scolded but his smile remained, not rattled by a little girls petty babble. "Unova shall truly turn into a great place under my ruling! With me leading the masses I can slowly take over other regions, bringing others under my wing with a false sense of "equality" and "harmony", and all they have to do is—" Slow but loud clapping by the door paused the elder Sage in his gaining monumental speech.

"Very lovely, but you're boring me old man," Touya stepped through the door, tone bored, with Belle, Cheren, and Red following behind.

"Brought the whole gang, I see?" Ghetsis sneered but gave a nonchalant shrug after giving it a quick think over. "Might as well. I will have to drill it into every single person's head for the next few weeks until everyone understands who exactly is in charge around here."

"I didn't come here for sedation," Cheren snubbed arrogantly, pushing his glasses up with his middle finger purposely. "I just want to know why my Pokemon were suddenly summoned back to their pokeballs and why they can't be called back out."

"Hmph, well you see here, I have this nifty—"

"He has some machine that knocks out the circuits that controls the mechanism of the Pokeball." Touko replied dully, struggling to stand on shaky legs. Ghetsis shot a glare her way, positively livid at being interrupted from his would-be epic ramblings. "No one in Unova will be able to use their Pokemon, except him, while that machine is running."

"Kindly point out the location of—whoa... " Belle turned to Ghetsis and was ready to demand, quite cheerfully, where the machine was but got distracted by the human figure like Pokemon beside him, jaw dropping.

"What's wrong—uhhhhh," Touya gave the same reaction upon seeing the large Pokemon. "What is that!"

"That is Mewtwo," Red muttered darkly, side stepping the two to get a better look at the tall Pokemon. "What are you doing here, old friend?"

There was a flicker of recognition in Mewtwo's eyes but he never responded, didn't move. He stayed firmly by the old Sage's side, small electric zaps directed down to his bones from the collar when he tried to move out of place.

"So you encountered this beast before?" Ghetsis questioned, mild annoyance etched on his features.

"Yes, years ago. He had entered a cave I was occupying, looking for solitude, a place away from civilization. He had some weird Pokemon that looked so familiar yet different."

"Different? Like from a different region?" Touko questioned with a frown before glancing down at N to see if he showed any interest. None. It appeared as if he was wallowing in despair, silently.

"They could have been. But I am not going to say anymore. I promised Mewtwo that his secret will be kept with me until the day I die."

"I demand you to tell me your secret at once!" Ghetsis hissed harshly towards to captive Pokemon, his anger shooting up closely to a boiling point.

Mewtwo clenched his teeth together and stayed quiet, enduring the painful pin pricks of the collar.

"Still so defiant, I see. Fine," Ghetsis sighed and turned to Red. "Looks like this is the day you're going to die, so spill before you take your last breath. Kyurem!"

A large grey dragon appeared after the flash from the pokeball, appearing beside Ghetsis, and cried out at the crowd before it. It swiveled it's head left and right, getting a good look at it's opponents before baring it's teeth threateningly. It also had on a matching black electric collar.

"That.. that's!" Touko gasped, not believing that another legendary Pokemon stands before her.

"It's Kyurem," Cheren whispered and furrowed his brows. "I thought it was only a legend."

"But here he is," Touya muttered, staring in disbelief. "In the flesh."

"Whooooa," Belle stared eye wide, open mouth with some drool beginning to make it's way down to her chin.

"Your Pokemon are sad," Red frowned sadly, looking between the two distressed Pokemon. "Kyurem wishes to be free and alone. You have hurt him greatly."

"What, you can communicate with them?" Ghetsis sneered condescendingly before looking at N and said mockingly, "Looks like you're not all that special, boy."

There was a flicker of emotion in N's eyes before he looked over at his father with a growing, burning hate.

"Should have had that look and attitude in the beginning, then none of this would have happened," Ghetsis snorted and turned back to Red. "Now, how should I kill you? The same way I killed Hoshi?"

"W—hat," N's voice croaked, thick with emotion.

"Oh, I didn't tell you? Oh right, it's because I didn't want you to turn into more of a blubbering mess after that wench left. I killed dear ol' Hoshi with Kyurem's lovely wing here," he gripped onto one of the thorns sticking out of the wing at the end, not caring that it was sharp or that it cut his hand. "Don't worry, because he worked with us for so long I gave him a quick death. Might have not have been painless, but it was quick."

"You monster!" N screamed as he stood up and tried to run over to the man he called father, but Touko quickly wrapped her arms around him from behind and used her weight to try and bring him down again.

"Don't, N, he might hurt you too!" Touko sobbed and winced when N tried to pry her hands off him, even going as far as digging his stubby nails into her skin. "Please, don't."

"Using Pokemon to harm humans, to end human life... that is the ultimate sin," Red whispered and stared at Kyurem in sympathy. "I will free you from your wrath and imprisonment, both of you."

"And how do you plan to go on about that, you fool. Have you not been listening to what I've been saying this whole time?" Ghetsis felt his anger return when Red showed no fear towards him.

"Allow me to show you. Snorlax, Charizard, Pikachu, go!" He threw all three pokeballs at once.

"What, b—but, how! You can't bring out your Pokemon!" Ghetsis hollered and checked his remote to see that his device is still working properly.

"In fact, I can. I come from a different region, so my pokeballs have different coding."

"But pokeballs are all the same!"

"Kind of. The pokeball is designed to a region is fixed so that it can capture Pokemon within it. Every region has different Pokemon. If I had brought over some empty balls and tried to catch a Pokemon here, I might have given them a concussion."

"Dammit. Well, I guess Unova would not have been enough for me, why not aim for the whole world? After I defeat you I'll just take all of your Pokemon and the pokeball coding with it. But don't you think it's unfair, two against three?" The older man smiled lecherously at the unknown Pokemon before him, close to the point of salivating.

"No, I don't think it's unfair. Charizard here will light the railings on fire so you have no where to run. Snorlax will body slam the roof, making it impossible to run and within twenty minutes the building will most likely be ready to collapse. I'll only be fighting with Pikachu. You, on the other hand, have two legendary Pokemon to fight with. Don't be so scared." Red taunted with a small cold smile.

"You bastard," Ghetsis hissed and pointed towards the yellow rodent. "Destroy that little shit, Kyurem! Outrage!"

"Touko, you and the others get far away from the building. I assume once it starts shaking no one will be hanging around inside." Red ordered, keeping his eyes on the battle.

"R—right, come on!" Touko tried dragging N towards the exit but he wasn't budging from his spot, still trying to reach Ghetsis. "Help me!"

Touya and Cheren came over, each grabbing a hold of N's arms and dragged him towards the exit, Touko and Belle ahead of them.

Anyone they saw in the stairway were warned about the building collapsing and they made sure to pop their head into almost every door on the way down to do the same. By the time they reached the lobby most of the people have cleared out to the building shaking violently.

Outside a lot of trainers and Plasma members stood around, watching the building vibrate and the distant red flames at the top. The gym leaders were currently surrounding the remaining Sages and Shadow Trio to make sure they made no moves to run away. The two goddesses were away from the crowd, their hands clasped together in a silent prayer and none of the squad members were around.

Officer Jenny and her crew began to take over the tiny island, instructing trainers to get onto the boat and head back to the main island while they cuffed the criminals, including the goddesses and N.

"Wait!" Touko felt her heart catch in her throat when she saw N being treated roughly. Her stomach churned. "Please, don't arrest him!"

"Miss White," Officer Jenny saluted the young woman but kept the cuffs firmly on the young king. "I am sorry but he is being charged. Even if you did bring him down, it doesn't give you the right to decide his future but it does help us lock him up for breaking many laws. Sorry for the inconvenience." She turned away and ignored Touko's pleas.

The officers were now helping the gym leaders surround the Plasma members, including N, so she could not get close to him even if she tried. Soon she and her friends, along with everyone else, was ushered onto a boat and taken to the main lands. Minutes later Liberty Garden Tower collapsed.

Red had effectively destroyed the device Ghetsis created by the fall of the building, ultimately freeing Mewtwo and Kyurem. The human like Pokemon gave a nod to the trainer before flying off into the direction of Johto while the other legendary went in the direction of it's own home.

He had called back Pikachu and Snorlax and hopped onto Charizard before the Pokemon captured Ghetsis with his claws. They lifted off the building before it collapsed and headed towards Castelia City. Red dropped down where Officer Jenny was and handed over the criminal before finding Touko.

"It's okay," he murmured, watching the angry crowd that was beginning to surround. "Perhaps it is best to leave before a riot forms. I'm sure the gym leaders can handle it."

"Good idea. I'm beat, I just want to sleep," Cheren rolled his shoulder tiredly.

"We deserve a nights rest," Touya agreed and stifled a yawn.

"Touko," Belle whispered to her friend when she saw her tortured look. "Just rest for now, you are going to drop on your feet. Let's check on the situation in a few days, when everything has quieted down."

"... " Touko bit the inside of her cheek and turned around after seeing someone throw a soda can at N's head. "Let's go," she demanded and walked off.

Touko may have won the battle but it felt like she lost the war, because now N was going to be put behind bars and no doubt it would be for a long time.

. . .

The end.

I'm kidding.

A/N: Don't kill me, I love you guys long time. Also, I'm sorry I could not respond to everyone's reviews, I have been away for almost a month. And the reason why this chapter took forever was because of the battle scene between Touko and N. It was... completely messed up. A huge thanks to my Beta's for fixing up the chapter and I am eternally grateful to Minagi for helping with the battle scene!

PS. I hate battle scenes. I hate writing about them. I dislike reading about them. They will put me to sleep faster than my sleeping pills. I love playing them, that's it. c:


	30. Chapter 30

Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Chapter Thirty.

. . .

_Do you think it's possible that every 'hello' could be equivalent to every 'goodbye'?_

_Why is it that the simple farewell is so dreaded in comparison to the simple greeting of reunion?_

_Where is the 'good' in goodbye when attached to the whole package deal includes missing someone and separation?_

Six Months Later...

Too much has happened since the fall of Plasma and their beloved, but tormented king, N Harmonia. After the army of Officer Jenny's brought him to court and was sentenced to a lifetime in prison, everyone began to rebuild Unova back to the way it was years ago. Most trainers went out to try and recapture old friends while select few still believed what Plasma stood for and never bothered touching their empty pokeballs again.

The gym leaders were able to get their gyms up and running again within a few months. Although they rarely got any visitors this time around, they suspected that would all change when Unova was complete and at peace in the coming months.

And because of this, the Elite Four also had no challengers. They spent their time holding charities at different regions, bringing notice to what had happened to their own home region, and raised plentiful funds to help speed along the process of restoration.

Everyone who knew Touko kept her as busy as possible. The Pokemon Champion of Unova, Alder, even tried to goad her into challenging him and to take his place, knowing that she would be busy if she did win, thus not have much time to her self, but she saw through this and declined, saying her mind and heart was not into this matter at the moment and politely asked him to wait until she was ready.

Red had departed with few words and a sack full of 'high quality' Unova coffee beans, telling her that if she was ever in a tight spot then to contact him and not to go into solitude like he did. He knew that she would think too much and act rash, considering the situation, if she did decide to head down that road. His best advice to her was to act smart, be good, be patient, and everything could go her way. He left with a promise to come back and visit one day.

Belle and Cheren were able to convince her to help with local fund raising and giving small, motivational speeches to help build what they had lost. This went on for months and it helped occupy her but it was not enough.

Any moment she had free, Touko's thoughts would wander over to her green haired ex-lover, if he could be called that, and she hoped he was at least being treated decently in jail. It had taken her a couple days to get over the shock of him being locked up for life and finally admitted defeat that there was nothing she could do. She did not even have the guts to visit him.

The feeling of guilt began to rot inside her gut, slowly growing, manifesting every single day until it was almost difficult to get out of bed in the morning. Until one day she didn't get out of bed and didn't leave unless she was thirsty or had to use the bathroom.

Ms. White frowned upon this behavior and called Belle to come over and talk some sense into her daughter. The older woman had at first been afraid of this happening but her worries were eased a little when her daughter showed no signs of depression. But it appeared as if it had all finally caught up to her and now she was going to begin a slow cycle of self destruction if no one did anything about it. She did not know all the details for her daughters misadventure as much as her friends, so she could not offer much help.

Belle came over in record time, saying a quick hello to Ms. White before dashing up the stairs and barging into Touko's room without knocking, and squealed at the top of her lungs, "Good mooooorning sunshine!"

Touko jerked, momentarily confused and startled, but only to sigh afterwards and close her eyes. She grabbed her blanket and curled more into it's warmth, wishing her friend would leave her to wallow in peace.

"Oh no, we are having none of that," Belle chided and ripped the blanket away from her friend, expecting a reaction but got none. "Touko?"

Touko shivered but did not feel the anger she should have been feeling to demand her blanket back. "Belle, what is wrong with me?" She whispered, sounding as drained as she felt.

"I think... you are depressed, Touko," Belle murmured worriedly and placed the blanket back over her friend after seeing another shiver pass by. She sat down near the head of the bed and tried to run her hands through greasy brown locks but was met with tangles. "You smell."

"I haven't showered in awhile," Touko admitted and felt a little embarrassed, the slightest tint of pink dusting her cheeks.

Belle breathed a sigh of relief that her friend was not completely emotionless and patted her shoulder. "Hey now, you need to take care of yourself."

"What for? Who for? He's gone, why do I need to smell nice anymore?"

"Please, Touko, don't tell me you have become totally dependent on him."

"It's not like that... if he was getting some years, sure, that would be fine. But Belle, he's in for life." Touko felt her throat tightening with emotion and buried her head on her pillow so the tears would be absorbed. "I don't know how to deal with that and I don't want to move on and find someone else. I can't... if that makes me 'dependent' on him then so be it, but he holds the place in my heart whether I like it or not."

"So you're saying that even though you may recover through this, move about life normally, you'll still love him?"

"Yeah, I guess that is exactly what I am saying."

"Oh, Touko," Belle sighed with a small yet sad smile on her face. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Don't leave me here like this," Touko lifted her head to look at Belle in the eye. "Don't let me become some broken mess."

"Okay, I promise," Belle vowed and stood up. "You really need to shower. And change your panties, ugh." The blonde grabbed the other female by the ankles and pulled her out of bed.

Touko, too slow to respond or comprehend what was going on, was met—face first—with her hardwood floor. "Ouch! Dammit Belle, I change them every day!" She now felt pissed at being manhandled and stood, grabbing her bag that sat innocently by her desk and swung it around like a mad woman. "You want to mess with this?!"

"Ack!" Belle chickened out and dashed from the room, slamming the door behind her before yelling "You better be showered, dressed and downstairs in thirty minutes or I'll flush the toilet repeatedly until you get out!"

"Ugh!" Touko breathed heavily and threw her bag at the door.

Then she blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. Belle had successfully gotten her out of bed and actually managed to help Touko emerge some sort of emotion, even if it was downright vile anger. A sensation of gratefulness washed through her, her shoulders sagging in relief. She whispered a quiet thanks to no one in particular before heading to the shower.

She was downstairs five minutes late the set time that was given to her but Belle only smiled encouragingly, coming forwards to give her best friend of hug.

"That is much better."

"Oh, my baby girl," Ms. White babbled and came over to hug her daughter, tears forming in the outer corners of her eyes. "I'm so glad you're not being difficult about this."

"Sorry for worrying you," Touko apologized, feeling bad that she had caused everyone grief and worry once again.

"Hush, hush. Now why don't you go out and have a nice time. Take a break from work."

"Sounds like that's the plan," Touko mumbled and stepped back, scratching her cheek nervously. "What exactly are we doing?"

"You, Cheren, Touya and I are going to the Unova festival held in Undella Town. There is going to be food, drinks and fireworks!"

"Sounds like... fun." She tested the word on her tongue, feeling slightly off for saying it.

"It will be," Belle gave her an amused looked before leading them out of the house and over to Cheren's place.

When he answered, he did not look the least bit surprised that Belle was able to drag their friend out of her house. He stepped aside to give them room to enter before closing the door behind them. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"Thanks," Touko gave a small smile and headed towards the living room where Belle had already sat herself down beside Touya.

"Hey Touko, good to see you," Touya spoke lowly, as if his usual boisterous voice would frighten her.

"Likewise!" She cheered with enthusiasm just to show how silly he was being. It wasn't like she was going to shatter if he talked loud. He smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, Touya, don't treat her like a cripple," Belle teased and clasped her hands together and held them to her chest. "Touko, let us go to the festival in kimonos!"

"But wouldn't yukatas be more sensible? It's too hot for a kimono."

"We don't have to wear too many layers. And besides, the yukatas I have are boring."

"Sure, if that is what you want to do."

"Oh no, oh no no no! You have to feel like doing it too, Touko! Don't agree with everything I say just to keep me happy, this is to help you recover. If you really want to go with a yukata then we will. I just thought that with a kimono, there will be colors and wonderful silk. Ah, it's up to you! I will be wearing a kimono, you can wear whatever."

"So it will be alright if I just go with my shorts and t-shirt?"

Belle gawked so pathetically that Touko couldn't help but laughing, truthfully, for the first time in months. The soft tinkling sound made the others perk up hopefully, smiles spreading across their faces.

"W—well if that is what you want, s—sh—su—" Belle just had troubles saying the word.

"Well I suppose a colorful kimono is fit for such an event." Touko's laughs reduced to snickers as her friends face lit up like it was Christmas morning.

Belle ordered both men to clean up nicely for tonight's festival before going over to her house with Touko in tow. They said a quick hello to her parents before going upstairs to the blonde's extremely green and yellow bedroom.

"What kind of colours are you in the mood for?" Belle asked upon opening a closet specially made for kimonos.

"Whatever will bring out my eyes."

"Hmm," Belle hummed thoughtfully, giving a quick glance at her friend before sifting through her collection. "What about this one?"

She held up a light pink kimono with black musical notes printed in random places. Touko tilted her head from side to side, imagining herself in it before shaking her head. "The notes are nice but the pink won't do much for me."

"True," Belle folded the piece up and placed it back in its rightful place before looking through the others. "Aha, this one!" She held it up, revealing a nice shade of grey that faded to blue sakura flowers as it got closer to the bottom.

"That... is beautiful. Why did I never see you wear it?"

"My dad bought it for me for my birthday two years ago. I have worn it twice since then."

'Right. Of course I wouldn't have seen it then.' Touko thought dejectedly and glanced towards the carpeted floor.

"Uhh, but that doesn't matter! I am sure it will suit you much more than it suited me. Honestly, my hips were a tad too huge for this piece." Belle noticed the drop in her friend's attitude and tried to distract her. "Hup, hup! Now get dressed in this with the white and red layers, they should already be set up in the bathroom. The obi will be in the basket on the floor.

Touko took the silk fabric with delicate hands and walked over to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She was in there for ten minutes before coming out, seeing Belle already dressed in a black kimono with green and blue waves printed in various places. She finished putting her hair up into a lose bun before turning to the other, her eyes bringing out a certain sparkle.

"You look so cute!" The blonde squealed and shuffled on over, grabbing onto the brunette's hand and dragging her out in front of the mirror. "Now stand here and I shall do your hair."

"N—nothing too extravagant," she pleaded and surrendered herself to Belle's ministrations.

Ten minutes later Touko was admiring her side bun. It was simple and a tad elegant. Nothing too flashy and showy, something that won't grab attention. "I love it."

"I knew you would," Belle grinned cheekily and picked up two little matching bags for them to bring to the festival.

After a few minutes of Touko denying she needed make up, even if it was a 'light dusting', they were set off back to Cheren's. Belle was in such a good mood, she didn't even knock and walked right in and saw the two guys sitting on the couch, watching TV. Still in their regular clothes.

"What. Is. This." She bristled, shoulder drawn up and shaking.

"Uh, well, the game—" Touya mumbled incoherently before jumping over the couch and dashing down the hall.

"Don't leave me here you traitor!" Cheren hissed and went after him.

"I swear, if we hadn't come by they probably would have gotten ready at the last minute."

"And here people say that girls take forever to get ready," Touko rolled her eyes and shuffled forward, sitting down on the couch.

"Oh, I have no doubt we could have taken longer to get ready but everyone has been anticipating this event. It is one of the largest ones we have each year."

"That's true," Touko mused, trying to remember the last time she went.

After fifteen minutes both Cheren and Touyo came out of the room, their yukatas a dark blue with horizontal grey lines.

Belle felt her eye twitch. "Why are they wrinkled?"

"Well after I washed and dried them, I never bothered... folding them." Cheren admitted without an ounce a shame.

"That's funny, because the last time I remember you two wearing these, was over a year ago."

"That's correct, give a gold star to the observant one," Cheren's tone was monotone at best and he gave a mock bow to add salt to the wound.

"Don't be a jerk, man," Touya punched his friend's shoulder none too lightly and walked over to his girlfriend. "Sorry about him."

"Hmph," Belle stuck her tongue out at Cheren and slipped her hand into Touya's waiting one. "Just bring yours to my house when you're done, I'll take care of it."

"I know you will," he smiled and looked her up and down appreciatively.

"Please, I haven't even begun drinking yet, I can't vomit now," Cheren sighed and walked to the door, putting on his sandals.

"Puh-lease," Belle drawled, placing her free hand firmly on her hip. "As if your 'habits' with a certain gym leader isn't any worse than ours. Seeing you two with color coordinated outfits nearly makes me gag every time."

"That's—" Cheren flushed, finally looking embarrassed.

"Cheren, you're going out with someone?" Touko asked, eyes wide and blinking. "Since when?"

"Since... A while." He mumbled looking away.

Touko felt a small pang of guilt and pain mixed together. So he has been in a relationship between the time she was captured and planning to bring Plasma down. She never noticed because he requested to stay at another base that was located closely to a certain gym leader... It had been months since the downfall and only now she was hearing about this?

"Touko," Belle murmured, releasing Touya's hand and walking over to her friend, taking her own and giving them a small squeeze. "It's alright if you didn't know, it was not like he broadcasted it to all of the region."

"Yeah, but I'm one of the best friends, right?" Touko sniffed, trying to keep the tears at bay. "I was just too absorbed in myself. Forgive me."

Belle tilted her head to the side, frowning. She knew nothing she would say could cheer her friend up now, because no one would be happy with missing a part of their friend's life. "Okay, let's head to the festival and cheer up a bit. I'm in the mood for cotton candy."

Touko offered to fly them there on Zekrom, considering if they take the boat it would take two hours at best. With her Pokemon it would take as little as forty-five minutes. The name of her Pokemon felt odd on her tongue, she rarely called any of her little friends from their pokeballs since the battle because of mixed feelings.

During the fly there Belle could not help 'ooh'-ing and 'ahh'-ing, Cheren actually began to study Zekrom's form and Touya was doing his best not to look down. Touko watched Zekrom glance back at her a few times, as if studying her. She wouldn't be surprised if the legendary Pokemon knew how she was feeling.

When they landed on the outskirts of town, Touya scrambled down and helped both Belle and Touko as well but left Cheren to fend for himself. After his cursing and everybody's laughter subsided, Touko brought out her masterball and called back Zekrom, but not before missing the piercing look it sent her.

She swallowed thickly, minimizing the ball and placing it in her obi. "L—let's head in," she suggested, glad her friends missed the quiver in her voice.

The sky was dark by now, lanterns and coloured bulbs now lighting up Undella Town. Traditional huts were set up along the streets, each filled with different foods, both local and foreign, and game booths placed side by side near the end of the street. It looked as if hundreds of people came out for the event, many wearing traditional yukatas, kimonos and regular clothing.

Cheren had slipped away in favor to find his girlfriend, promising to meet up before the fireworks began. Belle dragged the three of them to the first food booth she saw and ordered three squids on a stick. After Touya paid, she handed one to him and Touko before nibbling on her own, a satisfied groan leaving her mouth.

"I've been dying for festival food!"

"Why pay for something so overpriced when you can buy the same thing from the super market, at a much cheaper price?" Touya questioned, also taking a bite in his food.

"Because everything tastes ten times better when someone makes it, especially if it is being sold at a festival," Belle reasoned before grabbing his hand, leading them to a random game booth.

Touko ate her squid in silence, watching the joint hands of her friends and couldn't help but feel like the third wheel. She knew that was not their intent, they wanted to include her in their activities, but she couldn't help but feel like she was intruding.

She stayed with them for two more game booths before declaring to check out the rest of the festival at her own pace. Belle had frowned and looked ready to protest but she felt Touya's hand gripping her shoulder, giving it a small squeeze and a small shake of his head.

Touko was glad he still knew how to read her, knew when to leave her alone, because she did not want to explain why she had to get away from them. After sending him a grateful smile she went her own way down another street.

There weren't as many people down this way because there wasn't as many booths as there were on the main street but Touko did not mind, it was getting a bit stifling with so many people around. She stopped at a hut that sold handmade bracelets made from the unique rocks that littered the beaches here and bought a white one with two small black dots on either side.

"Come get your unique cotton candy here! Four different flavors with many color combinations!" A voice sang out enthusiastically and it caused Touko to step backwards uncertainly.

She recognized this voice. She had not heard it for a long time but deep down she knew who it belonged to. She swirled around to find the location of that voice and finally spotted the owner at the very end of the street. A couple went up to the booth, looking at the sign which showed what they had to offer but when they noticed who was selling, they sneered and left.

Anthea frowned dejectedly and sighed. She sat down on a seat, her hands resting in her lap. "Your turn Concordia."

"Very well," the ex-goddess stood, inhaled deeply and plastered a wide fake smile on her face before speaking in a booming voice, "Our cotton candy will disappear from your hands in moments and you'll be begging for seconds!"

'What the hell,' Touko thought with furrowed brows, completely confused. She stormed up to the booth, surprising both women. "Selling cotton candy? Really, that's what you're doing?"

"Miss Touko!" Both Concordia and Anthea exclaimed, surprised at seeing the younger woman.

"Yeah, it's me. But you two, cotton candy? What?"

"It is very hard to sell when people see you as a criminal," Concordia admitted sheepishly, a light pink dusting her cheeks.

"Wha—, no, why? I don't understand."

"You are confused," Concordia observed and gave a halfhearted shrug. "Long story short, we had to retell our story from the beginning. Orphans, Ghetsis took us in and it spiraled down from there. They concluded we were brainwashed and we got off with five years parole."

"Oh," Touko blushed, thinking it was something much more complicated. "Sorry for freaking out. I just didn't know what happened to you two after all that happened and there was nothing in the news. I assumed they locked you up or shipped you out of the region."

"No, but maybe those options would have been better. We do community work under heavy supervision and people are very cruel. I don't mind the snide remarks but when they get as physical as throwing rocks... " Anthea admitted sadly, looking at her once soft hands, now dry and rough.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Enough about us," Concordia forced a smile and smoothed out the bright orange overalls they were forced to wear. "How have you been doing?"

"Could be worse."

"Yeah?" The ex-goddess gave a sad smile and began making a green flower cotton candy after the brunette pointed out the option on the menu. "Have you been visiting N?"

Touko froze, her hand clenching onto the coins in her hands. She had to look away in guilt at the look both women sent her.

"Touko," Anthea spoke softly in an accusing tone. "Why not?"

"I'm just not— I can't."

"It's like he is rotting to death in that place, he is not eating again and this time we can't aid him. Not even Officer Jenny will help. They believe he is better off dead and gone."

"What?" Touko whispered, eyes wide. "They aren't giving him anything?"

"They bring the worse kind of food possible to his cell but he refuses to eat anything. They don't force or help, they have brought Nurse Joy multiple times to feed him through tubes but they are requesting her less and less."

"That is barbaric, they can't do that!"

"But they can and will continue to do so. I thought this whole time you were visiting and still could not get through to him. If you visit, you might be able to bring him out of his shell." Concordia spoke in a hopeful voice, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I just can't do that, he's in for life! Seeing each other through prison bars isn't healthy, for either of us. I doubt I can change anything because he is done for! He's going to die in that cell whether we like it or not and I can't do a damned thing, so stop asking me to do the impossible!" She slammed her money down on the counter and took her unfinished cotton candy before storming back to the main.

No matter how furiously she chewed on her loaded candy she could not get the shocked and hopeless looks off their faces. They were giving her too much credit for something that could not be done, they should not be surprised by her angry outburst. It was too much pressure, she couldn't handle it.

"Hey Touko, there you... Are you okay?" Belle came up beside the brunette her brows furrowing in worry. "You got a pretty fierce look on your face, you look ready to kick ass."

"S—sorry, I just met Anthea and Concordia."

"Oh," Belle blinked, looking quite surprised as Touko felt. "I thought they got locked up."

"Nah, parole."

"Ah. Did they say something that upset you?"

"..."

"Well, let's head this way with everyone else, the fireworks are going to start soon. Touya and Cheren are already saving a great spot for us." Belle took a hold of Touko's hand and dragged her to the supposed superb spot.

They stopped beside a large palm tree and that is where Belle let go of Touko, and stood beside Touya, wrapping her arm around his hip.

Touko let out a heavy sigh and looked around, seeing Cheren standing away from the group with a gym leader who looked familiar but she could not place her name. She stepped a few feet away from the couple to give them space and looked into the starry sky.

Minutes later bright fireworks went off with loud cracks. Touko became mesmerized by the beautiful designs the coordinators of the festival planned out, bringing beautiful image after image. A slow smile spread on her lips, momentarily forgetting her surroundings.

Touko looked to her side, "Hey, you seeing this... N..." She inhaled sharply and wished she could slap herself without looking crazy.

How could she forget so soon? Was she so easily enraptured by fireworks that she completely forgotten her whole situation? Perhaps fireworks were a therapy of some sort, it could make anyone smile when they didn't want to. But she just... How could...

Tears spilled down her face against her will, no amount of sniffling could hold them back any longer. She cried freely because she knew no one could hear her with the fireworks going on, but she could definitely feel Belle's stare. Still she bawled freely, releasing the pent up stress that she had bottled up inside herself. It was unhealthy to hold them in for so long and now she was paying the price.

She cried until the fireworks stopped twenty minutes later. After that she wiped her eyes with her hands and turned to Belle. "Can you guys get home by yourself? There is somewhere I need to go."

"Of course," Belle smiled supportively, knowing exactly where Touko was heading to.

"Thanks," Touko whispered and ran as best as she could in wooden sandals.

Upon reaching the outskirts of town, Touko took her masterball from her obi and called forth Zekrom. After a quick flash, the huge dragon looked down at it's trainer, scanning her stature and emotions. It felt a different energy wave, something strong unlike the weak link earlier. It was satisfied and leaned low enough for her to get on.

"Get to Castelia City." Touko ordered, clinging on tightly when Zekrom took off the ground roughly. It flew faster than it did with its other guests on his back.

They made it to the capital of Unova in record time since the large Pokemon did not have to mind extra cargo. They gave couples near heart attacks upon landing on the pier before Touko called Zekrom back to his ball and began to jog towards the jail. It was difficult because of the wooden sandals and she was half tempted to kick them off but it would not look good.

She entered a crisp white building ten minutes later,caught between panting and gagging, due to being out of breath and the strong cleaning chemicals used there. She tried opening the set of doors inside but found them to be locked. Frowning, she bent a little low to read the sign on the door.

"Visiting hours are from eight in the morning till eleven in the morning and two-thirty in the afternoon till six in the evening."

Touko huffed rather loudly, and pressed the white button on the wall beside a speaker. There was no way she could wait until morning to see him, she would no doubt lose her nerve so it was now or never.

"Good evening, this is Officer Jenny. If you are here to visit a prisoner, I am sorry to say that visiting hours are over and will ask you to return in the morning at the appropriate hours."

"I can't wait that long, I need to see someone right now."

"I am sorry miss, but that is impossible. Please remove yourself from the site and return in the morning."

_Act smart._

Touko inhaled deeply and looked directly into the upper corner of the room where the security stared directly at her. "My name is Touko White, hero of Unova, and I demand to see a prisoner right now."

A noise of surprise came from the speaker and a couple seconds later a loud buzzing noise sounded throughout the small room. Touko quickly opened the heavy door and stepped through. An Officer Jenny was instantly at her side, patting her down.

"Miss White, I'll have to hold onto that pokeball of yours," the older woman spoke stiffly, obviously not used to be given orders by anyone else but her sisters.

Touko removed the pokeball from her obi and handed it off to one of many officers and followed her down the white sterile hallway. "I won't be staying long," she promised, already feeling bad for using her title of 'hero' to gain what she wanted.

"It is not much of a problem," Jenny lied smoothly with a wave of her hand, but the discomfort was clearly written on her face and the way she held herself. "Which prisoner did you want to see at this time of night?"

"N Harmonia."

Officer Jenny stopped walking, frozen momentarily before whipping around, a furious expression on her face. "You wish to see that... that... that person who brought pain to all of Unova? Especially to you?"

"I do."

"Have you been drinking tonight, Miss? Taking something illegal?" Officer Jenny pulled a small flashlight from her belt, switching it on and flashing it into the younger woman's eyes. "Be honest."

"I am being honest," Touko sighed, clenching her hands within her long kimono sleeves to hide how much the other's actions bothered her. "I just want to talk with him."

Officer Jenny stared hard and Touko swore she could hear teeth grinding. "Fine. But you only get ten minutes. After that I will have to ask you to leave the building and not to return until regular visiting hours."

"Ten minutes is good," Touko smiled, feeling relief washing through her.

They went through a series of doors, all which required a card swipe or finger prints or sometimes both just to be opened. When Touko thought they would never reach his cell, she was suddenly halted. They had stopped in a dark and dingy place, a single lightbulb barely lighting the whole area and flickering, showing it was going to die at any moment.

"Get up Mr. Harmonia. It's your lucky day, you have a guest," Officer Jenny could barely contain the sneer within her voice and brought out her baton to bang on the bars. N showed no movement and she shrugged. "He's all yours. Ten minutes." And with that, she left, closing the heavy door behind her and watching from the other side.

Touko could not take her eyes off the skeletal frame behind the bars. He was leaning against the wall, eyes closed and shivers were wracking his body. Although there was a tattered blanket in there, he had it placed far away from him as possible. There was also a flimsy pillow, a lumpy mattress and a stainless steel toilet connected with a water fountain in the cell.

"N?" She whispered, afraid that if she spoke louder, he would shatter.

He visibly twitched at the sound of her voice, but made no other movement to acknowledge her being there.

"N," she spoke louder and shuffled closer to the prison bars. "It's me, Touko. Can you look at me, please?"

She held her breath, watching the battle from the emotions in his eyes. He finally looked at her but showed no signs of happiness, relief or grief. Just utter defeat. It made her gut clench.

"I don't have much time, Officer Jenny was insistent on that, so I'll try to make this quick." He said nothing and she felt a little spooked with his now vacant eyes focused on her but swallowed and surged forward. "I'm sorry I have not visited you since you landed in here. I was acting rather cowardly about it, making myself busy every day, pushing myself not to think while you were in here and have nothing to do but think. If I had stopped by for regular visits then maybe none of this would have happened," she gesture to his thin frame.

N only continued to stare at her and Touko wondered if she was getting through to him or perhaps he had already gone lucid and delirious. She sighed and squatted down to his level, feeling a small spark of hope when his eyes followed her. She reached her hand through the cell, holding it out to him but all he did was stare at it for a couple seconds before looking back up at her face.

"Why won't you eat?" She blurted out, unable to keep her voice stable any longer. It was as if he was really dead on the inside and the outside was only functioning because it had to. "Please talk to me."

"..." He said nothing and she choked back a sob.

"I ran into Anthea and Concordia at the festival today. This whole time they thought I was visiting you and were rather upset when they found out I wasn't. Then when I was watching the fireworks, I looked at my side, expecting to see you but you weren't there."

A spark, so small she almost missed it, flashed within his eyes. An unknown emotion.

"And I felt horrible for neglecting to visit you. I just didn't think anything would come from it, y'know? You are in for life and seeing you like this is complete torture. It hurts, right here," she placed a hand over her heart and clenched onto the silk material. "And it throbs so painfully, almost to the point where I think I won't be able to breath again."

He had now lifted his head, with a bit of trouble due to undernourishment, his eyes a bit more alive than when she first entered there.

"As idiotic and crazy as it sounds, I still want to be by your side, I need to be. But as equals, no glass walls, no social status, no ranks standing between us. You may not be my first love but I feel so much more for you than I did for Touya. There is no way I can forget about you... You are it for me." She practically hissed, grabbing the bars to support herself so she did not fall because her legs were shaking so bad.

"Fool," he finally spoke, whispered, his voice raspy due to the lack of use of it. The word was cruel but it almost sounded between lovingly and a scold. His eyes glistened with unshed tear and green brows furrowed, as if he could not understand why someone would stick with him for so long after all that he had done. He had done nothing but inflict pain onto others, emotionally.

"N," Touko sighed, beyond happy to hear his voice."I know it may be impossible now but I will get you out of here." His eyes darkened in disbelief. "Hey, I'm a 'hero' now, y'know. I have my ways."

He looked away and she felt bad for reminding him of the past but gave her head a small shake. She didn't have time to dawdle over that issue anymore.

"I don't know exactly how long, but—"

"Time's up Miss White. You have to leave. Now." Officer Jenny stepped into the room and spoke loudly with a rude tone.

"You leave!" N hissed at her, baring his teeth at the older woman.

Officer Jenny stumbled back in surprise at the new change in his behavior and glanced between the two of them suspiciously.

"N, eat and drink lots of water, okay?" Touko order sternly, a hand placed firmly on her hip. "I don't want to date a guy who is skinnier than me," She teased light heartily and gave him a kind, reassuring smile before leaving him with one last advice. "Be good."

_Be good._

After that night, Touko flew back home and began planning her strategy. If she was going to get him out of there without too much struggle, she would need the help of her friends. No doubt they would crown her crazy and threaten to send her to the loony bin, but she knew that they would stand by her decision, no matter how crazy it sounded.

She did not strip out of the kimono until the early morning, hanging it up to remind herself to wash it before giving it back to Belle. With one last loud yawn, she crawled into bed and got the much deserved sleep she needed. And for the first time in months, she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Touko did not awaken until the afternoon, stretching with a pleasant smile on her face. It was a brand new day, although half over, it was a perfect time to put her plan into motion. She may not have realized it before, but when the gym leaders and other trainers had her help out with charities they were using it to help distract her and the power she had over them. Now she was going to calculate everything she did. She was going to work twice as hard to gain favors and hope it payed off in the end.

She would work until she sweated and cried bloodied tears. When enough time passed, she would present her proposition to release N and use her charity work as leverage. It may be playing dirty on her behalf but the others were equally as guilty for not telling her how much her 'hero' status mattered in Unova, heck, she did not know herself until she was granted access to N's cell. She thought the whole 'I'm the hero of Unova' bluff would fail, but thankfully that was not the case.

When Touko met with her small group of friends later that day, she told them of her plan. Each gave their own opinion and thoughts. Belle was all for the idea, believing true love can conquer all. Touya still had some doubts about N being stable and still believed he should not be released, at least for a couple more years. Cheren just stared silently for long moments before releasing a huge sigh, and said that he knew that his opinion would not change her mind so it was useless to say anything but he would still support her like a true friend should.

It went better than expected and Touko felt more empowered with her friends ready to stand by her side.

Her plans were really simple. She would work herself to the bone while helping in charities but this time she would do it with a cheerful attitude and do a hundred and ten percent better than before. She even thought of coming up with some of her own with subtle hints to feel compassion to those in Plasma, hoping some people would realize that a couple members didn't know any better, or perhaps believed they were brainwashed.

Belle offered to spread the news of when she would host such charity events, assured her bubbly attitude would bring a good crowd. Cheren said that he most likely wouldn't get any help from the gym leaders, including his girlfriend because of their dislike towards N, but he said he'll be able to find information for convincing, and truthful speeches for her to read. Touya declared he would track down the ex-goddesses and convince their parole officer to come to every single one of their events, in hopes of bringing down their hours quicker, as well as showing Unova that they are not bad people.

Touko was completely dumbfounded when they came forward with all this minutes after she told them about her master plan, there was nothing left for her to do! She thought about visiting N and explaining what she was going to do but thought it was best not to. If word got around she was frequently visiting him then it would do the plan no good. People would believe she was totally incapable of moving on and whatever their wild imaginations could come up with.

If Unova was fond of anything, it was festivals. Most of the region loved getting together to enjoying a fun themed time. Belle said that because it is almost fall time, they should have a gardening tour within two weeks and a pumpkin festival a week before winter comes.

"We can gather some of your mom's flowers, Touko," Belle explained while Cheren quickly yet neatly jotted down the plan. "because she has some beautiful imported plants, as well as some of the flowers Unova is famous for. If we can get enough people to donate, we will be able to make a huge beautiful garden for viewing. Flowers are for pleasure viewing and can have a pretty calming effect on the soul. That is exactly what Unova needs."

"And a pumpkin festival?" Touko asked, looking over Cheren's shoulder at the details of the gardening tour. He set it aside after he was done and got a new sheet out.

"We can have a pumpkin contest! The biggest and best pumpkin crop wins, and the prize will be... A kiss from you!"

"What?!" Touko all but shrieked, her cheeks flushing. "Are you insane?"

"Possibly," Belle muttered seriously. "I honestly have no idea what to give for a prize."

"We didn't think that far ahead," Touya admitted sheepishly and gave his chin a nervous scratch.

"We can always buy two day pass tickets for the amusement park in Nimbasa City," Cheren suggested, pen tapping against his cheek.

"That! Let's do that!" Belle bounced excitedly in her seat and continued talking.

She talked about other ideas to do during the pumpkin festival, stuff like bottom for apricorns, story telling for the kids, some light ale for the adults.

Touko became just as enthusiastic as Belle when everything started to come together. It will prove to be extremely hard work once they put everything into motion and there will be no doubt that this sort of plan won't take less than a month, possibly up to four months or more, but she will see it to the end. She would do anything at this point to see N again, except outside, and standing in the the warm sun.

_Be patient._

Touko sighed tiredly, feeling as if she would pass out any moment. It had been six months since she and her friends planned multiple events, a few of the first ones not being very successful, mainly due to the presence of two ex-goddesses.

Upon seeing them, people immediately left the charity, demanding their refunds and claiming they will never come to another one of theirs due to their 'evil supporting' habits. A few others had picked to ignore Anthea and Concordia and continue about their business about the fundraiser but it was clear their moods diminished a significant percent.

During another festival they held in the winter, Concordia and Anthea were selling hot chocolate mixed with either caramel, mint or mocha, topped with whip cream and cocoa shavings. When it appeared that their services were once again being denied by the public, Belle marched up to the stall and asked for hot chocolate mocha.

When she received the drink, she took three huge gulps and held back from panting and wailing at the hotness of it, and instead yelled out, "Hot DAMN! That's some good hot chocolate!" And ran behind a stall while pretending to take sips.

The people who witnessed the strange event gave each other curious looks but they still did not approach the stall and hovered around instead, waiting for others to make a move.

After a couple of minutes of watching this painful scene, Touko went ahead and got herself a hot chocolate mint drink. The ex-goddesses gave her wry smiles, thankful that she was trying to help them out.

She blew onto her drink, hoping to cool it down quickly enough, before taking a healthy sip. Her eyes widened and she looked at the two older woman. "Wow, this is really good. I think I'll come back for seconds later," and walked to the stall Belle was currently hiding behind, who was now using snow to nurse her burnt tongue.

Touko peeked out and was surprised yet happy when she saw people cautiously approach the small stand. She watched their expressions after taking a sip of their drink and was glad to see that they clearly enjoyed what they bought. Soon enough Anthea and Concordia's stall had the best selling items of the festival. Some people even approached her and begged for them to come to the next one they had planned.

"Touko, you can use this to your advantage," Cheren appeared beside her, holding his own hot chocolate mocha. "Because you are Unova's hero, they will look to you for reassurance and guidance. You have to set an example for their feeble minds." He took a healthy sip.

"Cheren, don't call them feeble," Touko frowned but could understand completely.

"A lot of people will just follow the leader without asking questions. The ones who will ask questions are experienced and older trainers. The younger ones are more impressionable. Citizens are just the same. No matter if it is cruel or not, it is all true."

"I know," she sighed and peeked around the booth again, her frazzled nerves settling down upon spotting Anthea's and Concordia's delightful smiles.

_And everything could go her way._

Five months later, Touko and her friends had established a somewhat good standing for ex-Plasma members and the ex-goddesses. Their charities raked in more than they planned, including donations over seas, and it helped tremendously rebuild Unova much quicker.

The gym leaders were a little put off with her for not being invited to help host the events but were allowed to come as guests, it made them suspicious. There was one exception, Lenora, who Touko invited personally on many occasions because she felt the older woman would understand and have more compassion than the others.

One summer morning Touko approached Mayor Biggie and basked in his nervous image when he spotted her coming into his office. He began to sweat badly and dabbed his forehead a couple times with a handkerchief, swallowing thickly and flipping through a few papers in front of him. He never bothered reading his documents before a meeting because he was full of confidence that everything will work out his way, but he didn't expect he would be meeting her at any time.

When his eyes finally focused on the words in front of him, his face quickly left the ash white zone and escalated to red and soon after, purple. "This is absolutely ridiculous! There is no way I'll grant this!" Biggie wheezed and grabbed one of two stamps on his desk, slamming it into the ink before onto the paper, reading 'DENIED', and shoved it over to her.

"I thought you might feel that way," Touko nodded, a tad shaken up but knew this would happen. She pulled out another copy of the same set of papers and replaced it with the denied copy. "So I was hoping you would actually read through all of them before so recklessly deciding to deny my request."

"That man is a complete monster, messed up beyond repair! And you want to grant my permission to release him, hah!" He laughed mirthlessly and grabbed his denied stamp again, aiming for the new papers but missed all together when Touko pulled them out of his way.

"I didn't print many copies so please be careful how you handle your weapon," Touko frowned at his poor behavior.

"You, my _child_, are asking for something so far fetched, everyone in Unova will think you have truly lost it. Yes, it is nice you host events and help bring the region closer together, but it can only take you so far. I refuse to read through a child's fantasy," he motioned towards the papers and leaned back in his seat, watching her with cold eyes.

"I knew you would not take it all well, but I thought, as _Mayor_, you would treat everyone equally and without such loathing. I expect a proper _Mayor_ to show kindness during these times and hold no grudges or ill feelings towards others because they are suppose to represent the people. And you are foolishly assuming the people want things your way."

"Now listen here, girlie—"

"No, I won't," she hissed, nails digging into the arms of the chair. "I have been around the people these past months more than you have and they are showing great kindness to the ex-Plasma members, the ones who changed their ways. Some are even saying that others should be released if they no longer believe in Pokemon liberation."

"I have no doubt that more than five percent of Unova want Plasma's king roaming the street," Bigger sneered, hands curling into a fist.

"That may be so, but if they get wind of me, _Unova's Hero_, standing beside him and showing him a different path from the one he was brainwashed on, I'm sure they would be more understanding."

"I still think—"

"That is your own personal opinion, Mayor Biggie, and you may think it is for the best, but that still does not give you the right to decide without at least some feedback from the people. Besides, you're holding a grudge against the wrong man. N was not the one who took Mewtwo away from you."

Biggie seethed silently at her words and looked down at the innocent papers in front of him and felt his shoulders sag in defeat. He spent the next hour going over each and every single paper slowly, re-reading and evaluating, trying to look for any loopholes yet finding none.

With a tired sigh, he pulled open a drawer from his desk and pulled out a stamp he rarely used. After dipping it in ink and stamping the papers, Touko was happy to say she was now in the 'PENDING' motion.

. . .

Touko wrung her hands nervously together. A week after Mayor Biggie stamped her movement, he went out and made a huge announcement about it and tried many ways to say how bad exactly this idea was. But people questioned him, which was unlikely before. They had seen the ex-Plasmas' behavior, how they changed, and questioned the possibility of their king changing too.

The Mayor could not believe what was happening around him. The people of Unova always loved and believed in him, putting their trust and faith in his decisions but here they were questioning his motives. He thought for sure they would agree with him and beg to keep the so called Plasma king locked up for life. His eyes sought out familiar brown ones and held back a scowl at her smug appearance.

She was completely relaxed, arms crossed and leaning against one of Castelia's buildings. She had the air of confidence but inside she was trembling with fear and hope. Months of fundraising and events, hard work and sweat, were finally paying off.

In the end, the status went from 'PENDING' to 'APPROVED'. Part of the sweet deal was to have Anthea and Concordia off parole in a few months.

Now she was standing outside Unova's prison, awaiting for his release in a couple minutes. There was a big crowd behind, held back by Officer Jennys but she, along with a few reporters, were inside the ring they created. She watched them chat among themselves while their assistants toyed with expensive cameras, tweaking the settings for the perfect exposure.

After the minutes seem to drag on and on, heavy doors finally opened and N Harmonia was a free man. He walked outside in a large white dress shirt and brown slacks. His hair had grown longer and more unruly than the last time the public had seen him and he looked awfully skinny but there was a healthy glow to his skin, showing that he was improving.

_'Well, it doesn't look like his spirit was truly broken,' _was Touko's last coherent thought before vivid green eyes landed on her. She held her breath, watching raw emotions flutter in those eyes, feeling her own chest tighten. She never thought of the possibility of him losing interest in her. But even if he did, she loved him too much to have him be kept behind bars.

He walked towards her with measured steps, looking almost at ease, but the tense and awkward way his arms swayed at his side betrayed that. He ignored all the reporters shouting questions in his face and the multiple flashes in his eyes.

When he finally reached her, he only stood there, watching down the slope of his nose. She could see his mouth moving and thought that he was probably grinding his teeth or trying to figure out what to say. When he finally did open his mouth, he spoke with a confident, strong voice.

"I won't be able to fit into your pants anymore."

Touko could no longer hold herself back and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around slender shoulders, bringing him into a tight embrace and into a fire searing kiss.

. . .

An hour later, after N was forced to answer questions for the paparazzi because Touko convinced him it would do his image good to have the people of Unova on his side, they were standing in front of her house.

N did not understand why they could not just go somewhere to be alone but Touko had assured him that they needed to get this over and done with as soon as possible so it would not come to bite them in the ass later.

Taking a deep breath, Touko opened the door and felt slightly worried that all pairs of eyes were rested on her companion and not her.

"So, we saw the news," Belle chirped, her fingers tapping the couch in a rhythmic motion. "It was very interesting."

Touko felt her face flame and N's hands tightening around hers nervously.

"Aside from that," Cheren sent Belle a 'are you serious' look before giving the couple his attention. "I thought it was very well executed. For the people. But as for us... "

"We think you may have to prove yourself and that may take awhile," Touya finished, giving his knuckles a good cracking but winced right after.

"Very cool, man," Cheren deadpanned, giving his other friend the same look he gave Belle.

"I will prove to you all my worth, no matter how long it takes."

"That will take a while," Belle pointed out, a single blond brow raised in challenge.

"I have time," N inclined his head to her, accepting the challenge.

"We will be the biggest cock block, just so you know," Cheren mused loudly.

"Language," Ms. White scolded the grown man, happy he had the decency to blush and feel embarrassed. "Mr. N Harmonia, I do not appreciate what you have done to my daughter these past few years."

"I understand and I am sincerely sorry for the pain I have caused."

"It will take much longer to convince me otherwise. If it was up to me, you would not be within a hundred meters of my baby. But she is old enough to decide what she wants and wise enough to think for what's best for her. So I will watch for now and observe how authentic you are as a changed person. Hurt her in any way and you will be booted off my property, is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. Now," Ms. White exhaled loudly and headed towards the kitchen. "I'll be making some stew and bannock. You are all welcome to stay and eat."

"Thank you Ms. White."

Belle, Touya and Cheren turned towards the television and continued watching the news.

Touko released a breath she did not know she was holding and brought N up the stairs and into her room.

"I want that door left open, Miss Touko White! I don't want any funny business going on under my roof."

"Okay, mom!" Touko shouted back and rolled her eyes but left the door wide open.

She brought N over to her bed and sat down. He stood, looking around her room, taking in the computer, stuffed animals and stacks of paper on her desk. Few pictures hung on crème beige walls, leaving the room feeling simple yet homely. He finally sat down but kept his back rim rod straight.

"There is no need to be stiff," Touko said, giving him a worried glance.

"That all went better than expected. I thought I wouldn't be able to step through the door," N admitted, brows furrowed.

"They probably would have if I didn't talk to them before hand."

"I should have expected."

"Hey," Touko frowned at his down cast gaze. "Not everyone is going to support... us," she motioned between them with her index finger. "Some will probably out right refuse, but the best we can do is hold ourselves up and prove them wrong."

"I suppose," he mumbled and she was glad to see him finally relaxing. "Are you sure you want this?"

"Positive. I worked way too hard, N, don't start questioning it."

"I thought for sure you would have moved on after I got locked up."

"I couldn't," she whispered, her own eyes dropping to the ground. "I tried to keep busy but it was impossible to stop thinking of you entirely."

"I won't give up then," he suddenly declared, his hands gripping onto his knees so tight, they began to turn white. "I will prove to you every day that you deserve more than me, better."

"Oh, N," Touko sighed and hugged him from the side. "I already know, there is no need to prove yourself. I actually thought you would lose interest in me."

"That would never happen."

"Same goes for me." She leaned over to kiss his cheek before forcing him to lay on the bed. He tried getting up but she tightened her grip. "I just want to hold you, to know you're here, in my home, in my arms."

He held still for a couple seconds before turning on his side to face her, his own arms wrapping around her. He brought her flush against him and nuzzled his nose into her hair. "You assure me so many times but I still feel unworthy. I still feel like you should have just left me to rot in the cell, do onto me what I did onto you but much worse. I don't deserve any of this."

Touko clenched her eyes shut and held back the tears. She knew it would take a long while to get N out of this state of worthlessness, it would probably take years to patch up these fresh scars, but it was worth it for the man she loved. She would prove to him time and time again that he is no mistake for her and she would help him accept that they match perfectly together.

She would reintroduce him to the world, but under a new light, a healthier perspective. He would probably frown upon a lot of things but knew he would see sense in most.

"It won't be easy, I know that, but I will push until you can see how much I truly love you," Touko whispered in his ear, placing a light kiss on his lobe.

"But... "

"It is hard to believe now, I know. But all I'm asking is for you to trust me. Trust will help us along. Love will make us stronger. We only need each other, N. It's us against the world."

He pursed his lips, looking like he wanted to argue but thought better of it, her words running through his mind. If he argued now, it would prove that he was giving up before the fight started. Did he have such little hope in this relationship? Yes. But when he looked into her eyes, blazing with determination and a glimmer of fear, he realized that she could not do this alone. She needed his cooperation. She needed him to make this team. She needed him.

"I'll… try," he finally whispered, forgetting how to breathe when she gave him one of her smiles. He hadn't seen them for such a long time. And he was the cause of it. The hope in his heart swelled.

"You're off to a great start." She leaned forward to give him a proper kiss, delighted he responded, even if a bit timidly.

This relationship would take time, work and effort. It was far from perfect but it was miles away from disaster. But it would all be worth it because they are and will continue to be happy. They would face their ups and downs, plenty of those, but they had each other to get through the tough times. Even when they have proved themselves, some would still disapprove and would never change their mind. It was fine with them, they couldn't make everyone happy, they learned that personally.

The walk through Eden was tempting, delicious, cruel, and devastating, but the two people who ventured through came out with various scars, a few unable to heal, but they came out together. As long as they have love and each other, they can do anything, even show the world that miracles can happen.

. . .

THE. END.

A/N: WHAAAAAT. I'm crying.

What a bumpy, angsty ride! It's finally over. I thank every single reader, reviewer and even the people who read one chapter and dropped the story! You guys stayed with me till the end, encouraged and nudged me along. There were up's and down's but everything worked well out in the end. Everything went better thn expected! It is a blessing to have such support and understanding from the people who took the time to leave little uplifting reviews.

But most of all, I must thank ALL my beta's, which was probably around 5 LOL. I would get one, then lose one, get one, lose one... But finally two brave souls stepped forward, Blackrose105 and SaitoKeita from DeviantArt, and went straight into battle with my horrible typos and tense and all that. Without them, the last 15+ chapters would have been total shit. I love you guys. So much.

Eden at first was "just a story", but now I have grown attached to Ferriswheelshipping and plan on writing more. Hopefully within a month I will have possibly three or four first chapter samples of different stories I have been working on, up on my DeviantArt Journal.

I hope everyone enjoyed reading Eden and continue to enjoy other works I will post up. C:

I LOVE EVERYONE SO MUCH. -sob-


	31. Epilogue

Epilogue

. . .

They had bred a demon. N felt himself sweat uncontrollably as he walked the store aisle with caution. He knew he was mostly to blame, he spoiled the bratty monster and obeyed its drastic whims. How could he not? This creature held remarkable power over his being ever since it could talk. He was close to quaking with fear now, hoping he would not be found—

"Daddy!" A high pitched voice squealed, followed by sandals clapping on the cold tiled floor.

N breathed harshly and slowly turned around, looking at said demon with fearful eyes.

"I want dis one!" The little child held up the stuffy doll, which truthfully looked like a rather hideous Pokemon chimera.

'She gets her weird tastes from you, I swear,' his wife's teasing words rang through his head, as it usually does when his daughter wants something weird.

The little girl continued to stare up at him, chocolate brown eyes wide with innocence and glistening with pure happiness. Her mouth was stretched into a wide smile and auburn curls bounced on her shoulder when she started waving the doll up and down wildly "Daaaaaaaaddy," she whined. "Dis one!"

N felt his shoulders sag, a goofy smile made it's way onto his face and his eyes drooped. He was a puddle of goo. 'She's soooooooo cute!' And it did not help that she was a spitting image of her mother. "Alrighty, daddy will get this one."

"Yay!" The girl cheered and hugged her new doll to her chest.

"Is there anything else—" N was going to continue to shower her with gifts, just to see her laugh and smile more, until he felt a menacing aura coming by.

"Honestly, N, do you want her to grow up spoiled and demanding?" Touko chided softly when she stood by him, hand on her bloated stomach.

N instantly turned his attention to his wife, wrapping an arm around her waist and another around her stomach. Fatherly pride swelled in him and he probably glowed brighter than the pregnant one. "But she is such a little darling."

"She has you wrapped around her little finger," Touko mused. She was the much more strict parent, trying to teach her daughter the important values of life while N spoiled and gave whatever her little heart desired. "Daddy's little girl."

"Just look at her Touko! She's a vision of an angel, holding a rather ugly thing, but just look!" And did Touko look. And she saw a mischievous glint in her little girl's eyes.

"Yes, I'm looking." Touko allowed herself a small smirk, turning her head so her husband wouldn't see. "I can only hope this one will be a boy." She rubbed her stomach lovingly.

"I still wish we could find out," he said, staring down at the bulge with intensity, hoping it would give out the secret.

"It's more fun to keep it a surprise."

"Well if the baby does turn out to be a boy, I hope he looks exactly like me and you'll see how much trouble it is resisting whatever he desires."

Touko made the mistake of thinking about her baby looking like a miniature N, chubby flushed cheeks, wide green eyes, a toothless smile and drool dribbling down his face while pointing out the toys he wished to have.

"G—good point," Touko muttered and frowned. This was going to be troublesome. "But! No matter who the baby looks like, we will treat them equally. So if he looks like mini you, you spoil him as much as you spoil the little princess here." Touko slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide upon realizing exactly what she said. She just gave him permission to bow down to their kids every whim.

His grin told her that he heard it all. "Alright, little princess, is there any other toy you wish for?"

"Yes!" She cheered and ran down another isle to pick out another ugly toy.

"Momoko Hoshina Hikara Harmonia, don't you dare pick anything expensive!" Touko began to waddle to the isle her daughter went to. "I swear, N, if she picks the most expensive thing in the store I'll crush the bones in your hands when I give birth."

N laughed whole heartily and walked at a steady pace by his wife's side. "I think you should be less worried about me because Auntie 'ConCon' and Auntie 'Thea' will be visiting this weekend and they plan on bringing plenty of gifts."

The color drained from Touko's face, her head slowly twitching to the side until she faced N. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious."

"Oh no, she is going to become more rotten than ever before! Everyone is bending to her will!" She may have sounded hysterical to others, and perhaps she was, but she more than hoped her husband didn't notice. Concordia and Anthea usually came only when N decided to leave for a couple days, so their 'little princess won't feel lonely'.

During the last legs of recovery he had only had to see a psychiatrist on weekends due to the... episodes he had.

After Touko suggested that they start a family together, N was all for it. But after their little girl had been born, he began to withdraw from them both very slowly, almost going to the point of avoiding whatever room Momoko was in. She thought perhaps he was regretting it all now.

After a month of this ongoing behavior she confronted him, eyes rimmed red and angry tears running down her face. She had never thought of herself to be a single mother, especially considering who is her other half, and it honestly scared the living daylights out of her.

N had been ashamed. He would clenched his eyes shut many times, as if to stop himself from crying. After listening to her rant, he held her tightly, refusing to let go when she struggled in his grasp. He bent down to her ear and confessed he was afraid of turning into the person his father was.

Touko then took a step back to stare up at him, taking notice of the worry lines between his brows, eyes downcast and a frown tugging the corner of his lips. Depression, fear, weariness, exhaustion. All the painful emotions were evident on his face, he just wasn't sticking around her long enough for her to read them.

That night she forced him to bond with their daughter to prove to them and Momoko that he would never dare turn into his father.

"Look at her face! Is this the face you can turn your back on?" Touko had whispered harshly, trying not to wake their sleeping daughter. She was crazy for even attempting to hold and pass her over to N. "If you truly want to walk away because of your fear of becoming a monster, then keep in mind that there is no turning back. You won't see me or Momo again."

At the sudden snap of N's rim rod spine, it was apparent he had never thought of it at that angle. That if he did not change the way his dark thoughts swirled in him like a festering infection, then he could lose the two most important people in his life.

That night N had offered to stay in their daughter's room to watch over her and give Touko a rest. It was the beginning of a beautiful bond between father and daughter.

Of course it wasn't easy at first. N had his freak outs and sometimes ended up smashing plates or glasses. He sought help because he didn't want to turn back on his family. He did not want to lose them to this 'disease', as Touko called it.

Now she noticed he had not been sleeping well after the announcement of her second pregnancy and felt defeated that she could not help as much as she wanted to in this department. But she was still thankful they made it this far. In the beginning of their parenthood they barely saw each other due to the numerous appointments he had to help him recover mentally.

He had improved much since then and she could not be any more proud. She also accepted the fact that he may never heal from the demons that haunted him frequently, she promised him and herself that she would stick by his side and do anything she could do to make it better, as long as he promised her that he would never give up.

Sadly, N had caught onto the hysteria and grasped onto her hand, bringing her palm to his lips. "It'll be okay," he whispered before planting a soft kiss on smooth skin.

"I know," she gave him a watery smile and tugged him down to give her a proper kiss.

"Daddy, I want dis one too!"

. . .

A/N: Truth be told I wrote this just as I finished chapter 30... I only kept it for my own enjoyment LOL. Buuuuut many people have asked for this and one of my Beta readers told me that this piece is good closure for Eden, so here it is! Big thanks to both my Beta's Blackrose105 and SaitoKeita, both from dA!


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